Fire Emblem Awakening - Another Side, Another Story
by Astral Miracle
Summary: A collection of short stories meant to accompany my retelling of Fire Emblem: Awakening. Some stories are heavily inspired, and reference, the events of the "optional" chapters from FE:A (Paralogues and Xenologues, for instance). May take requests for additional entries. Please see the Foreword for more information.
1. Foreword

**Foreword**

This is a collection of short stories, set in the same world as my retelling of Fire Emblem: Awakening. It is meant to be read alongside my other work. Some of these stories will reference in-game events and dialogue. Some of them will revolve around events of my own invention.

I alluded to this collection in my author's note for Rise of the Conqueror. I currently have five short stories planned. I initially intended to post them after posting the last arc of my retelling, but I decided that the two of the short stories work slightly better when read alongside Rise of the Conqueror, instead of after the third arc.

These ideas were cut from the main story for a variety of reasons. The first two stories were cut simply because they were mostly fluff. There's very little in the way of actual story events happening, and they're just my ideas as to what Robin and Cordelia were up to in the year and a half between Reign of the Mad King and Rise of the Conqueror. The tone will be quite a bit different, and since there's little in-game dialogue to support these two stories, most of it is of my own creation. I don't know if these will be quite as enjoyable to the same audience for my other stories, but I felt like writing them nonetheless, and I may as well publish and let you, the reader, be the judge.

The remaining three side stories will not be posted until after I finish posting the last arc. One of them contains spoilers for numerous major plot twists, and the other two are based upon events _after_ the third arc. In other words, you'll see the first two side stories posted in these next couple days, while the remaining three will be posted in a few weeks, after the completion of the main story.

There's a few minor original characters that will appear in this story, but none of them play a major role. I've tried to keep their positions, personalities, and even names reasonably consistent with the game's setting. These first two stories will focus a lot more heavily on Robin and Cordelia than on any of the other characters. Since those two are two of the main characters, and the other two main characters are tied up doing boring things, like ruling a kingdom, it was only natural.

Since each story is meant to be a standalone work, I don't want to try to touch upon all of them in a single note. I'll be including a stub at the end of each short story, at the very least to give credit to the in-game events that inspired it.

Finally, if you have any ideas for events that you would personally like to see narrated in this style, please feel free to leave them for me in a private message or review. If your request fits into the setting I've created, or can fit with a reasonable amount of alteration, I will try to accommodate it. Any stories added upon request will be posted _after_ the five short stories that I currently have planned, as it will take me some time to write them.


	2. Paralogue 1: A Summer of Bonds

**Paralogue 1: A Summer of Bonds**

Robin looked up guiltily, as he heard Cordelia stir. The platinum-blond tactician turned and took a deep breath, hoping the beautiful red-haired woman would stay asleep just a little longer.

No such luck. Robin watched his wife stretch and yawn, a sight that he would be enjoying, if he hadn't just been caught in a rather compromising position. She looked at him blearily. "Robin, why are you up so early?" she asked.

"I just woke up," Robin said quickly.

Cordelia narrowed her eyes at him in feigned annoyance, and Robin squirmed nervously. He was telling the truth, this time – he really did wake up less than half an hour ago. But since he hadn't bothered to dress, aside from tugging on his breeches half-heartedly, somehow he doubted he could convince Cordelia of his honesty. On his first expedition as captain of the Shepherds, Cordelia had quickly put her foot down when it came to him and his all-night stints of reading. Robin knew full well the lovely woman was right, as always. But it wasn't always so easy to put an engrossing book down, and Cordelia had caught him reading through the night no less than four times. On the last occasion, she had literally dragged him back into bed, gripping him so tightly that there was no escape until she awoke the following morning. That part wasn't so bad, but the next evening, he learned that his books had been moved into a locked chest. That day, Robin cursed himself for forgetting that he had tasked Cordelia with managing their supplies, ever since Miriel left the Shepherds to work as a royal consultant in Ylisstol.

"I did get some sleep," Robin added weakly, seeing her suspicious stare. "Honestly!" He grimaced, realizing that it didn't help his case to be found in the almost exact state of dress – or undress – that he was in every time Cordelia had caught him before. To his surprise, Cordelia only giggled reluctantly. "Umm… Cordelia?" he asked uneasily, unsure what the sudden change in her mood signified.

"Robin, I know you were asleep last night," Cordelia reminded, still laughing lightly. "We went to bed together, and you fell asleep first, you know."

"Oh, right," Robin said, with a relieved sigh. With a yawn of his own, he carefully slipped his favorite leather bookmark into place, and closed the rather new tome gently. In truth, this particular manual was pretty dull, and not all that helpful. It was a beginner's guide to elemental magic, which Robin was thinking about rewriting altogether. Ricken had instructed both Lissa and Maribelle with this very manual during the Second Plegian War, and Robin was dumbfounded by their obsession with certain trivial aspects. The rigid casting stance that the book recommended had no practical value whatsoever. The manual also rambled on about following your instincts and letting your spells guide themselves. That was utter hogwash, of course – no elemental magic Robin had heard of included innate tracking, so learning to aim was critical.

"Still, it's our day off, remember?" Cordelia continued. "You don't need to wake up so early."

"I didn't want to wake you," Robin said, shrugging, feeling slightly guilty. The night before, he had indeed advised all the others to take the following day off. Their most recent expedition had taken them along the Plegian coast in pursuit of bandits who had taken to the sea. The pirate band was comprised of Plegians, Feroxi, and Ylissean bandits alike, for despite Prince Chrom's efforts, life remained difficult for many in all three kingdoms.

"Well, you should take it easy today, too," Cordelia said, in a gentle, yet uncompromising tone.

"Fair enough," Robin conceded. "Say, why don't we go for a walk around Ylisstol this afternoon? Maybe find a nice restaurant somewhere or something?"

Cordelia smiled at the offer, but she shook her head. "Actually, Sumia invited us to join her and Chrom for afternoon tea. You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all," Robin replied agreeably. He stood with another yawn, and stretched quickly, before collecting his shirt and cloak.

* * *

><p>"Good morning, Robin, Cordelia," Frederick greeted, as they entered the dining hall. Robin sighed when he noticed that Frederick was fully armored. He was well-accustomed to the sight by now. He could only ever recall seeing Frederick wearing ordinary clothing twice. Frederick, like every other Shepherd, had been clothed neatly and formally for the prince's wedding to Sumia. And on the day Robin and Cordelia were married, the bride made it quite clear that Frederick was not to attend dressed for war.<p>

"Good morning, Frederick," Cordelia said politely.

"You know, you should really consider wearing something a little bit more casual if we're taking the day off," Robin said dryly. Still, he knew it was a lost cause. Several of the Shepherds were in the same habit; Robin noticed Kellam, barely visible in the shadows on the other side of the room, also wearing his grossly oversized plate armor. In fact, it had taken Robin nearly three weeks to convince Cordelia that wearing her armor through the halls of Castle Ylisse was unnecessary. Robin almost laughed when she finally admitted the real reason for wearing her armor all the time, but thankfully, thought better of it at the last moment. Still, it confused him how such a beautiful woman could feel insecure about her appearance.

"You're still wearing your robe," Frederick remarked.

"The robe is comfortable," Robin argued. "I'm not wearing my armor underneath it, am I?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Robin, in our last battle, you nearly forgot your armor entirely. You would've been dressed exactly this way, if I hadn't reminded you."

Robin smiled sheepishly. "Well, that wasn't on purpose," he protested weakly. He looked at Frederick cautiously, half-expecting a lecture on the spot from the overly-vigilant knight, but Frederick only stared blankly at the wall ahead, looking rather uncomfortable about something. In fact, his posture was kind of unusual, with both hands clasped behind his back. It was the knight's usual stance while standing, but while sitting, it looked forced, and Frederick hadn't touched the food on the plate in front of him yet. "Are you alright, Frederick?" Robin asked.

Frederick frowned uneasily. "Actually, I was hoping you could help me with something, Robin," he said softly, in almost a whisper.

"Uh… of course," Robin agreed hesitantly. It was rather unusual for Frederick to be asking for help. "Just give me a moment to pick up some breakfast."

"I'll get some food for you," Cordelia offered quickly, when Frederick nodded uncomfortably. She, too, found Frederick's unusual behavior disconcerting.

"Alright. Thanks," Robin said, and he sat down across from Frederick as Cordelia left. "So, Frederick, what's going on?"

Frederick grinned uneasily, and Robin found himself even more alarmed. Frederick almost never smiled. "It's really quite embarrassing," Frederick admitted. "But would your extensive knowledge happen to cover lock picking?"

"I'm afraid not," Robin said. "That's Gaius's department. Why?"

Frederick sighed. "I'm afraid our dear princess's latest prank has taken its toll." As he spoke, he turned, though he maintained his stiff posture. The reason became apparent quickly enough, and Robin's eyes widened when he saw that Frederick's wrists were bound in a pair of metal cuffs.

"She… handcuffed you?" Robin said weakly, trying to suppress his laughter. Lissa loved her little pranks, and despite often being the victim of them, Robin still found her habit amusing. Still, usually her pranks involved frogs, not handcuffs.

"Indeed," Frederick huffed, noting Robin's poorly-disguised amusement. "And I would quite appreciate your assistance in removing them."

"Why did she handcuff you?" Robin asked curiously. But even as Frederick began to answer, Lissa herself joined them.

"Because he's bad at listening," Lissa explained cheerfully, sitting down beside Frederick. "Good morning, Robin!"

"Good morning, Lissa," Robin replied politely.

"Milady, I must ask that you remove these cursed cuffs," Frederick begged.

"Nope," Lissa refused immediately. "You heard our captain's orders – we're supposed to relax today. Only in Frederick-land does that encompass getting up three hours before dawn to train."

"I don't believe they were intended as orders," Frederick protested. "And besides, what were _you_ doing in the training yard?"

"Sure they were," Lissa said, ignoring his question and glaring at Robin fiercely, silently demanding his cooperation.

"Lissa, I don't think Frederick will get much relaxing done with his wrists bound together," Robin said, shaking with laughter.

"It was really quite considerate of you to collect breakfast for me," Frederick added quickly, as Lissa pouted. "But, milady, it is extremely difficult to eat in a dignified manner with my arms restrained. In fact, it is extremely difficult to do anything at all."

Lissa groaned. "Fine, but you have to promise you won't just go straight back to the training yard again."

"Of course, milady," Frederick agreed, in a rather desperate tone. Lissa reached into her pockets, then adopted a look of horror.

"What's wrong?" Cordelia asked, as she rejoined them bearing a pair of plates laden with food.

"Thanks," Robin said gratefully, as she slid one of the plates over to him. Cordelia knew his tastes well, and had brought him several slices of his favorite fruit, a citrus fruit with pulpy red flesh that grew along the southern shore of Ylisse.

"I lost the key!" Lissa said a moment later, taking no notice of the exchange, as she confirmed that the key was no longer in her pocket. Frederick groaned, while Robin nearly choked on a mouthful of fried potatoes.

"What key?" Cordelia asked, perplexed.

"I'll tell you later," Robin said hastily, trying hard not to laugh. "Frederick, Lissa, why don't you go see Gaius? I'm sure he'd be glad to help."

"Yeah… okay," Lissa agreed sheepishly, as she helped a very annoyed Frederick to his feet.

* * *

><p>"Lissa did <em>what<em>?" Chrom asked, as Sumia laughed.

"I'm not kidding," Robin answered with a grin. "She must have gotten the jump on him in the training yard or something."

"More likely, she just asked him to stay still for a moment. Frederick's always standing with his hands clasped behind his back, anyways," Cordelia said.

Chrom laughed. "Hopefully she won't torture poor Frederick for too long."

"Well, she lost the key," Robin mentioned. "But I'm sure Gaius will sort them out," he added, when Chrom and Sumia both looked at him in disbelief.

"Speaking of Gaius," Sumia said suddenly. "Maribelle invited me to go to a new bakery that opened, just outside the castle. And she said she invited _Gaius_, too! Can you believe it?"

"Maribelle has been way nicer to Gaius for a while now," Cordelia said. "I wonder why… she used to hate him."

"To be fair, Gaius did almost get her father killed," Chrom replied. "That's what Maribelle told me, anyways. It seems kind of crazy, though. I know he was a thief, but he doesn't seem the type to blame other people for his own mistakes."

"He's not," Robin confirmed. "I got him to tell me his story the first night we met him. I promised him I wouldn't tell, but I told Maribelle she should ask him herself a few months back. I guess it must've changed her opinion of him."

"Ooh! What happened?" Sumia asked excitedly.

Robin laughed. "Sorry, Sumia. I'm supposed to keep it a secret, remember?"

"Well, you can tell me," Cordelia said, shoving her husband playfully. "Right?"

"Are you kidding?" Chrom asked Cordelia incredulously. "You and Sumia tell each other everything!"

"We do not!" Sumia protested. "I haven't told her about the paintings, have I?"

"Paintings?" Cordelia asked blankly, and Chrom's cheeks flushed red.

"What paintings?" Robin asked, amused to see his friend so thoroughly flustered.

"Okay, you're right, Sumia, I take it back," Chrom apologized to Sumia hastily.

Sumia smiled, satisfied, before turning back to Robin. "She's right, Robin, even if you promised to keep it secret you have to tell Cordelia! Couples shouldn't keep secrets from each other!"

"Alright," Robin surrendered. "I'll tell you the story later, Cordelia." Cordelia only smiled, and clasped his hand tightly. Truthfully she wasn't overly concerned – Robin could be quite enigmatic when he wanted to be, but at least with her, he was always quite open.

"Speaking of secrets," Chrom interrupted. "Don't you have something you wanted to share with them?" he reminded Sumia.

"Oh, right!" Sumia exclaimed. But instead of speaking, she suddenly looked nervous.

"Sumia?" Cordelia asked, the silence making her uneasy, too. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Sumia answered quietly, and she flashed her best friend a wobbly smile. "Umm… I did see a healer a short while ago, though," she said.

"You aren't sick, are you?" Robin asked, concerned.

But Cordelia figured it out immediately, and her eyes widened. "Oh gods! Y-you're…" Cordelia began, but she seemed unable to finish the thought, and only looked at Sumia, shocked. Sumia only nodded, her expression unchanged.

"Congratulations!" Cordelia exclaimed, hopping out of her seat and embracing her friend

"Huh?" Robin asked, thoroughly confused.

"She's pregnant, Robin," Chrom explained, smiling. "A couple months along now, or so the healer thinks."

"Oh… wow…" Robin said stupidly, lost for words. "That's… that's amazing. Congratulations…" he stammered.

Sumia laughed. "Thank you, Robin," she said, as Cordelia seated herself once more.

"So you've known for a while?" Cordelia guessed.

"Only a few days. But I wanted you to be the first to know," Sumia admitted shyly. "Besides Chrom, of course."

"Have you thought of any names yet?" Cordelia asked eagerly.

Sumia smiled cheekily. "Just one, but Chrom wasn't a fan."

Chrom groaned. "I'm not naming a son after myself," Chrom protested.

Well, you could name him after Robin, then," Sumia teased. Chrom groaned again. "We don't even know if it's going to be a boy!"

"Robin could actually be a girl's name," Robin pointed out with a grin, joining the fun.

"No," Chrom replied immediately.

"It was worth a try," Robin said flippantly.

"We're not naming our daughter after you," Chrom said firmly, and Cordelia and Sumia both laughed as Robin feigned an indignant expression. He couldn't hold it for long, though, and moments later, he burst out laughing as well. Chrom chuckled lightly, joining in their mirth.

"By the way, when are you two going on your honeymoon?" Sumia asked curiously, when their laughter subsided. "You've been married for nearly two months already!"

"Honeymoon?" Robin asked, curiously.

"You know what a honeymoon is, don't you?" Sumia asked sternly.

"I've heard of it once, I think," Robin admitted briefly. "Some sort of marriage tradition… but I thought it was obsolete."

"What gave you that idea?" Cordelia asked, surprised.

"Well, I've only known one other couple to get married, and I can't recall them taking a vacation," Robin replied.

"It's a bit different when you're the royal family," Chrom admitted sheepishly. "I tried, but there was really no way Sumia and I could just disappear on our own for a few weeks."

Robin grimaced. "The Shepherds have been pretty busy, too."

"Don't you have a second-in-command? Someone who could look after the Shepherds for a couple weeks in your absence?" Sumia asked.

"I think that would defeat the purpose," Robin said, dryly.

"He made me his second," Cordelia explained. "I told him it was a bad idea, but he didn't listen."

Robin sighed. "If I put Frederick in charge, I'm pretty sure we'd be faced with mass desertion after a single morning workout. If I put Vaike in charge, we might not have any weapons when we get back."

"Maybe not Vaike or Frederick then," Chrom agreed. "What about Stahl?"

"Meetings in the dining hall."

"Kellam?" Sumia suggested.

"Captain declared missing-in-action before the end of the first day."

"Sully?" Chrom asked.

"Anger management issues."

"Maribelle, then," Cordelia offered helpfully.

Robin groaned loudly. "Her lessons on proper speech and behavior might actually be worse than Frederick's daily exercise routine."

"I see what you mean, now," Chrom said, with a disarming smile. "Tell you what, though. I think I need a break here from the castle myself, anyways. Why don't you and Cordelia take a couple weeks off, and if anything comes up, I'll lead the Shepherds in your place?"

"But you're the prince!" Robin protested. "You said it yourself, you can't just up and leave the throne empty."

"I said I couldn't abandon it to take a vacation," Chrom said, with a shrug. "But leading the Shepherds is different, isn't it? And besides, Sumia will be here watching over the castle in my absence."

"I will not!" Sumia protested hotly. "I'll be right beside you!"

"You're pregnant, remember? You can't follow me through the countryside chasing bandits and risen," Chrom reminded gently. "Even if something does come up, I won't be gone long, Sumia."

"I still don't think it's a good idea," Robin said nervously. Beside him, Cordelia looked a bit disappointed. Robin didn't notice, but Sumia, sitting directly across from her, did.

"I guess you're right, Chrom," Sumia said, changing her mind abruptly.

Chrom blinked, surprised at her sudden change in disposition, but Sumia glanced meaningfully at Cordelia, and the prince immediately understood. "Good. Then it's settled. Robin, you're going to take a couple weeks off." Chrom decided. "That's an order, by the way," he added with a smile, when Robin opened his mouth to protest.

"It sounds fun, doesn't it, Robin?" Cordelia urged, squeezing Robin's hand tightly.

Outnumbered, Robin finally relented. "It does," he admitted. "Thank you, Chrom."

* * *

><p>"So, where do you want to go?" Cordelia asked. They had gone for a quick walk, before returning to the castle's dining hall for their evening meal.<p>

Robin sighed. "Honestly, I don't know. The only places that come to mind are those I've read about. Say, maybe we could go to northern Ferox. There's supposed to be an amazing hot spring resort up there."

"Robin, summer just started," Cordelia said, rolling her eyes. "No one goes to the Feroxi springs in the summer. It's far too hot."

"Oh, right. Well, what about Windswept Village in eastern Ylisse? There's supposed to be a great Summer Harvest Festival there," Robin suggested.

Cordelia smiled patiently. "Robin, harvest festivals are usually towards the end of summer, after the crops are ready to be harvested."

Robin shrugged. "I figured as much. But if you don't mind waiting a couple months, I don't think Chrom would mind."

"True," Cordelia agreed. "I don't mind. I think Chrom might be disappointed though. He seems kind of restless."

"Definitely," said Robin. "Maybe we should find an excuse to get him out of the castle for a few days, anyways."

"Hello, you two!" another voice called to them. Cordelia and Robin turned in time to see the castle's resident red-haired merchant seating herself beside them.

"Good evening, Anna," Cordelia greeted politely.

"How can we help you?" Robin asked, guessing that Anna had something on her mind. The merchant was friendly enough, but thoroughly obsessed with her work, or, to be specific, the money that could be earned from it. She rarely approached a friend just to talk.

Anna frowned. "Maybe I just wanted to talk. I may be pragmatic, but I'm still human. I need companionship, too, you know."

"Sorry," Robin apologized hastily, disavowed of his earlier notion. But Cordelia knew better.

"You won't be trying to sell us anything, or asking us any favors?" Cordelia asked, with a knowing grin.

"Well, not technically," Anna said hastily, blushing slightly. "I mean I guess you can sort of see it as a favor, I suppose."

"Uh-huh," Robin said, in an amused tone, berating himself silently for being guilt-tripped so easily by the wily merchant. "So what's this favor that's not technically a favor?"

"It's not really a favor since it's technically your job," Anna said with a smirk. "Two of my sisters decided to fund a beach resort in southern Ylisse. It was supposed to open this summer, but my sisters are pretty cheap when it comes to hiring guards."

"Bandits?" Robin guessed.

Anna shook her head. "I wish. Bandits can be driven off pretty easily, and most of them won't bother a place with even just a handful of armed guards. There's been several risen sightings along the road, though, according to the merchants."

"Anna, I've always wondered, how many sisters do you have?" Cordelia asked curiously.

"Biological sisters? Just four," Anna replied casually. "I have two older twin sisters, and I'm one of three triplets. But we have plenty of cousins named Anna, too."

Robin shook his head. Talking to Anna about her family always made his head hurt. "So you're hoping the Shepherds can help you out with the risen?"

"Yep! Can you guys? Pretty please?" Anna begged, smiling at them sweetly.

"How much do you have invested in this resort yourself?" Robin asked wryly.

"Not too much," Anna hastily assured them. "It's just a favor to my sisters!"

Cordelia looked unconvinced. "You own a third of the resort, don't you?" she guessed.

"Only a fifth," Anna corrected indignantly. "Come on, it's a bunch of risen! You guys have to help keep the roads safe for the villagers."

Robin grinned. "You mean your customers?" When Anna seemed on the verge of further protest, Robin laughed and held up his hand. "I'm just kidding, Anna. Of course we'll help. Tomorrow morning we'll get the supplies together and round up the others. Do you mind showing us the way?"

"Of course not," Anna agreed quickly. "Meet you in the courtyard at noon tomorrow?"

Robin glanced at Cordelia, who nodded. "It shouldn't take long to get our gear together. Most of our supplies are already on hand," Cordelia said.

"Noon tomorrow, then," Robin agreed with a nod. "I'll let the other Shepherds know."

* * *

><p>"Did you forget something?" Chrom reminded, as he tracked down Robin just as the tactician was making his way back to the room he shared with Cordelia.<p>

"Did I?" Robin asked, confused.

"Your vacation," Chrom said impatiently.

"Ah. Cordelia and I talked it over, Chrom. We're going to go see Windswept Village's Summer Harvest Festival later this summer," Robin explained.

"That's not for another two months," Chrom said with a frown.

"I know," Robin said with a shrug. "But there really aren't that many places we can go right now, Chrom. You don't mind, do you?"

Chrom groaned. "I was hoping for an excuse to get out of here for a few days," he admitted sheepishly. "But I guess it's your call."

"Sorry," Robin said apologetically. "You know, you could try to convince Sumia to let you come along."

Chrom laughed. "Not likely. It's alright, my friend. I'll live. You just got my hopes up, that's all."

* * *

><p>"This has got to be a first," Robin said, grinning when he saw all the Shepherds gathered by noon, ready to go. He didn't realize it during the Second Plegian War, but despite their skills and experience, organization was a major weakness for the Shepherds. Off the top of his head, the last three expeditions each suffered their own mishap. On the first, a certain blond warrior had lost his weapon, precipitating an hour long search. On the next, Frederick had "forgotten" to notify Vaike entirely of their departure. While Robin wasn't entirely convinced that it was an accident, Kellam had also unfortunately been left behind, too. And on their third and most recent expedition, Cordelia had noticed only just in time that the new weapons had been left in the barracks – both Stahl and Donnel thought the other would deliver them to the supply carts.<p>

Today, every Shepherd had arrived early, and had their weapons prominently displayed. After a quick count, Cordelia assured Robin that all their supplies were accounted for, and as far as Robin could tell, everyone was present. "What is?" Frederick asked curiously.

"It looks like we're actually ready to go on time for once," Robin said, and several Shepherds chuckled.

"Heh. Well, we're going to a beach, aren't we?" Vaike cheered.

Robin groaned. "What did you tell them, Anna?"

"We aren't going south to the beach resort?" the red-haired merchant asked, pouting. "I thought you agreed to help!"

"You said the risen were cutting off the roads," Robin reminded. "We might not have to go as far south as the coast itself."

"Aw, that's no fun, Robin!" Lissa protested immediately. "Don't be such a killjoy!"

"Anna said they've got a wonderful restaurant in the resort too," Stahl whined.

"I ain't never seen a beach before," Donnel admitted. "We ain't got a beach back at home!"

Robin sighed. "Come on, Anna," he pleaded. "We're a little busy handling your risen problem to be your customers, too, you know!"

Anna looked confused for a moment. "Oh!" she exclaimed suddenly, as she understood Robin's concern. "I'm not charging you guys. This one's on me! What kind of friend do you take me for, anyways?"

"You're going to let us stay there for free?" Cordelia asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

"For one night, at least. I'm sure my sisters won't mind," Anna said. "Besides, just imagine – we could tell everyone the legendary Shepherds themselves came to our resort!"

Robin sighed again. "Fine, whatever. But stay alert, everyone. This is still a serious mission – we're hunting down renegade risen."

The many hearty cheers did little to reassure Robin.

* * *

><p>"How did I let Anna talk us into this again?" Robin grumbled, as he and Cordelia soared atop Catria's back, over a wide expanse of forest below. The forest had grown over uneven, mountainous terrain, and the dirt roads were barely visible beneath the thick treetops. Moving into the forest would be exceedingly dangerous until they at least had an idea of how many risen were lying in wait. Which left Robin and Cordelia flying overhead, hoping to catch even a glimpse of something out of the ordinary through the dense overgrowth.<p>

"Maybe you have a soft spot for pretty women with red hair," Cordelia said, with a smirk.

"Maybe," Robin conceded slyly. "But I already have the prettiest one all to myself."

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "I can't tease you when you start talking like that," she said petulantly. At least, she tried to sound petulant, but Robin could see her blushing. He laughed and only tightened his grip around her waist.

"Really, though. We're never going to find anything just flying overhead," Robin said, in a more serious tone. "I think we need another plan."

"Then come up with one," Cordelia said, shrugging. "You're the tactician, aren't you?"

"If I must," Robin said absently, his gaze wandering idly over the forests though he paid little attention to it. "There has to be some way to flush the risen out of hiding," he wondered.

"A forest fire," Cordelia supplied. Robin flinched, and the Pegasus knight laughed. "I'm kidding!" Rolling his eyes, Robin returned to his thoughts, and Catria continued to drift ahead.

"I've got an idea," Robin said suddenly, after several minutes of silence. "The risen always seem to be driven purely by instinct. If they find humans, they just charge straight at them."

"Right," Cordelia agreed. Robin had broached this theory to her before. With the exception of the risen that Aversa had summoned during their battle in the courtyard of Castle Plegia, the risen simply attacked the first thing they saw. They didn't really stop to think or strategize.

"We know the risen probably aren't blind, since they can certainly see us and our weapons in battle. I supposed it could just be an incredibly strong scent of smell, but it means at least one of their senses are intact, right?" Robin asked. "What about their hearing? Perhaps instead of trying to hunt them down, we can bring them out to us instead."

"That could work, but we'd have to lure them a reasonable distance away from the forest. Or else it would be the same as walking around and hoping they find us," Cordelia reminded. "And since the forest is pretty wide, and at least a couple miles across, it won't be easy to get their attention from so far away."

Robin flashed her a confident grin. "I've got a plan. And if just the thought of going to a beach created so much excitement, this evening could get a little bit _explosive_." His emphasis of the last word made Cordelia rather nervous.

"Well, explosions would definitely loud enough. Just make sure you don't burn down the entire forest." Cordelia reminded him sternly.

Robin only laughed, and gestured in the direction of the camp. With a sigh, Cordelia guided Catria into a turn and the two headed back to the camp.

* * *

><p>When they returned, Robin immediately went to the supply cart, retrieving several stacks of parchment, a few coils of rope, and his own personal small wooden chest. To Cordelia's surprise, it wasn't entirely filled with books. Instead, Robin withdrew a pair of small, cloth bags.<p>

"What are those?" Cordelia asked nervously.

"This pouch holds something Miriel calls 'saltpeter'," Robin said, holding a bag aloft. "Though I hope she was kidding about harvesting it from bat guano."

Cordelia cringed. "Well, that's… nice. What about the other?"

"Saltpeter, blended with powdered charcoal and something Miriel called sulfur. She showed it to me once – they're these little yellow crystals that smell absolutely disgusting," Robin said matter-of-factly.

"Robin, Miriel's experiments can be a little bit reckless," Cordelia reminded. "As critical as you are of your own plans, I can't think of a single one that's as hazardous as Miriel's projects." Robin grinned, knowing precisely what incident Cordelia was referring to. During the winter months, the Shepherds often gathered around a small campfire out in the training yard one night for a cookout. At the end of one night, Sully tried to douse the flame with a bucket of water Miriel had provided them with. The scholar had not bothered to warn them that the water was a little bit different, and, in fact, _extremely_ flammable.

"Don't worry, Cordelia. I've done a few experiments with this stuff on my own," Robin reassured, as he retrieved an old and rusty copper hatchet and a whetstone.

"Robin, you can't sharpen that," Cordelia warned. "It's too worn, and will just crumble apart. We should probably throw it away after this trip."

Robin only smiled. "Good, then no one will miss it." He collected a small canister of sea salt, too, before setting off, searching for an empty clearing to work in.

* * *

><p>Though none of the Shepherds knew exactly what Robin was up to, most of them were eager to help. By dusk, Vaike, Sully, and Kellam had constructed a large, simple wooden frame, according to Robin's specifications. Robin ground up part of the head of the copper hatchet, and blended several of the ingredients together, ending with four unique blends. Some of the rope was cut into small lengths and set aside, but the rest was cut into far longer pieces of varying lengths, and soaked in oil.<p>

Cordelia, Frederick, Maribelle, and Gaius, following Robin's instructions, wrapped long sheets of parchment around the mixtures, before binding them with the smaller pieces of rope, forming long parchment tubes. The longer, oil-soaked lengths of rope were wrapped within, too, extending down the length of each tube and outwards. The bottom of each tube was pinched and twisted shut.

Robin carefully positioned the wooden rack on a large dirt patch, and leaned the tubes against it, with the oiled rope protruding from the base of each tube. He then carefully positioned the ropes, laying them parallel along the ground. Finally, he wrapped the end of the ropes together into a single coil, laying it a fair distance away from the rack, but still clear of the grass.

"So, this is all to lure the risen out of the forest?" Anna asked curiously, eyeing the strange contraption.

"Well, it should also be fun to watch," Robin said with a shrug, eyeing the setting sun.

"Captain, the torches have been lit," Stahl said, returning and indicating a row of torches Robin had asked for, bordering the forest perimeter.

Frederick looked uneasy. "Robin, if your intent is to attract the attention of all the risen in the area, would it not be safer to do so by day?"

Robin shook his head. "I thought about it, but if the risen can't hear us, or can't follow the sound, they won't be able to make their way out to us. No, this has to be done by night," he said firmly. "Is everyone ready for a fight?"

"It looks like it," Cordelia said, appearing by her husband's side. "Are you sure about this, Robin?"

"Not entirely," Robin admitted. "I've only made one of these before, and on a far smaller scale. For all I know, this could just blow up in our faces." They all looked at Robin, alarmed. "Don't worry. I'm going to be lighting the fuses from a distance, so we should all be clear of it even if things don't work exactly right," Robin reassured them hastily.

When the Shepherds only looked even more uncomfortable, Robin decided to move things along before the doubts festered any further. The Shepherds gathered a fair distance away from the clearing, behind a large pile of burlap sacks stuffed full of sand. According to Robin, it was to afford them some cover in case things didn't go quite as expected. He had hoped the precaution to be a comforting thought, but the mere sight of the crude barrier only increased the sense of unease.

As the last of the sunlight died away, and only the faint glow of the moon and stars remained, Robin turned his attention to the coil of oil-soaked rope. "Ready?" he asked, a faint smile crossing his lips when no one answered. He lifted his fire tome, and a small fireball gathered in his hand. He took a deep breath, then flung it forward. The small flame spiraled through the air unerringly towards its target, and the oil-soaked fibers lit up immediately.

Robin watched with bated breath, as the flame burned steadily down the length of the each rope, separating and moving towards the paper tubes. He realized immediately that he had misjudged the speed at which the ropes would burn. He had specifically cut them into varying lengths to stagger the moments when the flames would arrive at each tube, but the oiled ropes burned far more quickly than he anticipated. Perhaps the oil wasn't necessary at all, Robin mused. Then the sparks reached the end of each exposed rope, reaching the base of the tubes of parchment and the compounds within.

A series of earsplitting cracks resounded through the air, as the explosive concoction placed in the base of each tube detonated, propelling the parchment tubes skyward in quick succession. Several of the Shepherds behind Robin gasped as they saw the tubes shoot upward, but their voices could not be heard over the sudden din.

The cacophony only grew greater still, as the compounds placed near the head of each tube caught ablaze as well. The next explosions were even louder than the first, and though the rockets detonated earlier than Robin had hoped, they were high enough to scatter the contents. The sky itself seemed to come to life with sparks of green light, scattering outwards from the head of each of the first four rockets.

The timing was a bit suspect, though, as the second and third waves were fired off prematurely, and golden and violet sparks joined the green. The scintillating shower of light was absolutely breathtaking, and several of the Shepherds gazed upward silently, transfixed upon the sight even as their weapons slid from their grasps.

The lights remained for nearly thirty seconds, as the residue floated downwards and the flames died out. For a long time, no one spoke. Robin felt slightly uncomfortable, as his little display hadn't gone exactly according to plan.

"Well… I hope the risen heard that, or saw the lights, at least," Robin said weakly, with a shaky smile.

"What _was_ that?" Anna spouted suddenly.

"That was amazing!" Lissa added excitedly. "Let's do it again!"

A chorus of laughter and cheers broke out, as the shock of the mesmerizing display wore off. Vaike pounded Robin on the back painfully, shouting enthusiastically, and even solemn Frederick looked to be amused. "All right, all right!" Robin said loudly, trying to be heard over the ruckus. "We can talk about it later, the risen could be coming towards us _right now_!" he reminded urgently.

Even that dire warning could not quell the excitement. Only Frederick and Cordelia seemed capable of keeping their wits about them, and joined Robin in watching for any movement for the trees, as the others continued bombarding their tactician with questions.

"Over there!" Frederick called out, after a few minutes, as he spotted several risen moving out into the open, illuminated by the torches. With their enemy within sight, the Shepherds became alert once more, and quickly retrieved their weapons.

All along the edge of the forest, risen began to emerge, sometimes alone, sometimes in pairs. "Could've been worse," Robin remarked grimly, as he counted a mere score of the shambling undead, spread too far to pose a threat in numbers alone.

"Har! We'll smash the crap out of these things!" Sully barked confidently, as she rushed to climb astride her steed. Beside her, Stahl and Frederick followed suit.

"Frederick - you, Sully, and Stahl strike where you can, but don't let yourselves get surrounded. Just slow them down enough so they can't reach the others in a large group," Robin instructed, as he quickly estimated the distance between them and their approaching foes. "Ricken, Lissa, Maribelle – blast them away as they approach, but keep your distance. The rest of you, stay with the mages and clean up any that make it through."

Robin didn't bother giving Cordelia any instructions; his wife knew her role in their battles well, and even as Robin finished, she led Catria to his side and helped him onto the Pegasus's back. "Ricken, shoot me a signal if you see any archers. I'll be watching for them too, but it's dark out here," Robin called, as Catria ascended to the skies.

* * *

><p>The fireworks worked as well as Robin could've hoped in attracting the risen. For over an hour, the risen continued to pour forth from the forest, but their uncoordinated, staggered advance was inefficient. Though it was a long and tiring battle, not a single Shepherd had even been injured.<p>

Over a hundred risen had emerged, and Robin frowned when he considered how much of their magical arsenal they had burned through. There weren't too many scribes in Ylisse capable of penning spell tomes, so the magical weapons weren't exactly cheap. Still, the tomes could be replaced reasonably easily, and no amount of gold was too great a price to pay for the safety of his friends.

It was a fairly easy battle, and once the risen stopped appearing, the satisfied Shepherds returned to their campsite. The Shepherds took shifts keeping watch throughout the night, in case a few of the risen were straggling behind the others, but Robin's caution proved unnecessary, and the Shepherds slept quietly, undisturbed.

After a good night's rest, the Shepherds forged their way down the forest path towards the coast. Though they kept an eye out for any risen, their journey was unhindered, and the thought of seeing the exotic beach kept them in fine spirits. To Robin's amusement, Anna badgered him continuously, wanting to know more about his lightshow from the night before. He knew better than to fall for the relentless flattery, and to the merchant's dismay, kept his lips tightly sealed.

After a few hours, just as the sun reached its zenith, the Shepherds crested a hill, and the beach and ocean came into view. "Here it is! The famous Resort Anna, the first and only beach resort in all of Ylisse," Anna announced proudly, as she gestured towards a large structure at the water's edge.

Robin let out a low whistle when he saw the resort. It was larger than any inn he had ever seen before, and built mostly from wooden planks that had been bleached white through what he supposed must have been prolonged exposure to the sun. The resort actually protruded over the ocean itself, perched atop of sturdy wooden docks that were high enough to allow for the incoming tide. Several tropical fruit trees lined the walls of the resort, spaced to allow a clear view through the glass panes, the expensive windows a luxury often only seen in castles. Even from this distance, he could well-imagine the ocean view from within – the resort was wider than it was long, and although not necessarily an optimal use of space, Robin guessed that most of the rooms within would have windows looking out towards the sea.

"Robin," Cordelia said urgently, tightening her grip on the tactician's hand. She directed his attention instead to the beach, and Robin obediently turned his gaze to the sparkling blue sea, pristine white sands, and crazed bandits storming across the coastline.

"Damn it, Anna," Robin muttered. The merchant and the other Shepherds turned around curiously, and gasped when they saw the bandits. "What happened to the armed guards you hired?" Robin asked.

"Umm… I think those are the guards," Anna observed sheepishly. "Honestly, I didn't realize my sisters were _that_ cheap."

"You hired bandits as guards?" Frederick asked incredulously.

"In hindsight, it probably wasn't the best way to cut costs." The Shepherds turned in time to see two women approaching, both who looked exactly like Anna.

"Hey sis!" one of them greeted cheerfully. "We… might have gotten ourselves kicked out by our own mercenaries," she admitted.

Anna sighed. "Guys, meet Anna and Anna, my sisters and business partners. Anna, _what on earth were you thinking!?_"

"Hey, if you can't beat them, you buy them," the other Anna, who hadn't spoken yet, justified. "I figured we'd find a way to get rid of them later if we had to."

"And what about the construction crews?" the Shepherds' Anna asked.

"Oh, we paid them and cut them loose as soon as they were finished," one of her sisters reassured. She turned her attention to the Shepherds. "You guys wouldn't happen to be wandering mercenaries, would you? We could certainly use a hand with our bandit problem… and some real guards," she offered.

"No problem, Miss Anna!" Vaike agreed enthusiastically. Robin elbowed him in the stomach hard, shutting him up immediately.

"I'm afraid not," Robin answered politely, trying to keep his temper reined in. Robin was normally rather mild-mannered, but his frustration with the merchants' antics was building up quickly. "We're the Shepherds of Ylisse. We came south to deal with the risen, and merely wanted to catch a glimpse of the resort your sister mentioned," he explained.

"What? I thought we were going to stay the night!" The Shepherds' Anna reminded. Several of the Shepherds voiced their own support, clearly still eager to get a closer look at the resort.

Robin closed his eyes, and silently counted to ten before speaking. "Anna, you don't own a resort anymore. The bandits do."

"Well, then we'll just have to get rid of them, won't we?" Anna said, unconcerned. "Come on, getting rid of bandits is what you Shepherds do best, isn't it?"

"She's got a point," Cordelia agreed, tugging at his hand gently. Robin glared at his wife, knowing full-well that she, too, just wanted a closer look. But she matched his angry stare with an innocent, wide-eyed look of her own, and just like that, Robin was overruled.

"Fine," Robin said with a sigh. "We'll clear out the bandits for you, but we're _not_ hiring on as permanent guards."

* * *

><p>Thankfully, even in hiring bandits, Anna's sisters had been rather stingy. There were less than two dozen of the crudely-armed ruffians in total, which explained why they had waited for the construction crews to leave before making their move, and how Anna's sisters escaped so easily. The Shepherds were well-known, and their reputation for hunting down highwaymen preceded them. The brigands recognized them immediately, and scattered, fleeing towards every corner of the beach.<p>

There was no need for tactics here, Robin decided. The bandits were poorly equipped, and even though the sand would slow some of the Shepherds, the bandits couldn't hope to even scratch the veteran warriors. "Just hunt them down," the tactician ordered, still annoyed with their merchant friend. The Shepherds set off eagerly, pursuing the bandits. Robin quickly removed his armor and left it with the supply cart before following. He was confident enough in his own skills to know that even his lightweight armor would be an unnecessary burden.

Without his armor, Robin caught up to a pair of the bandits pretty quickly, both of who wore thick, padded leather jerkins and carried heavy iron broadswords. The two fled at the sight of the approaching tactician, but soon realized the futility as Robin closed the distance between them. Both turned, brandishing their blades, but their expressions belied their bravado – both gaped openly when Robin drew his own sword, staring fearfully at Eternity's gleaming silver blade. "Would you be willing to surrender?" Robin offered, smiling at his terrified opponents. "The sands are beautiful. It would be a shame to stain them with your blood."

"Yer mad!" one of them barked back defiantly. "The beach be ours now, and we've gots you outnumbered! We'll be seeing who spills whose blood!" He rushed forward, his muscular frame bearing down upon the tactician, towering over the smaller man.

Before his companion could follow suit, Robin struck quickly, Eternity easily deflecting the brigand's poorly-balanced sword and eviscerating the rogue cleanly. The blow was so swift that hardly any blood even stained Robin's sword. Robin hid his distaste; bandits were easily intimidated, and he had quickly learned that acting the part of a callous killer often brought a quicker end of the bloodshed. "Now look at what you've done," the platinum-blond tactician said casually, gesturing towards the blood pooling around the gasping, dying man. He turned his attention to the second bandit, who was staring wide-eyed at his fallen friend.

"Mercy!" the bandit pleaded immediately, casting his weapon to the ground.

* * *

><p>"You know, I have to say, that necklace looks absolutely atrocious on you," Gaius remarked lightly, moving to intercept a fleeing bandit. Like the rest of his band, the brute was rather large, standing a foot taller than the slender rogue facing him, and probably outweighing Gaius by at least a hundred pounds. The smaller man didn't seem to be bothered by their difference in size, though.<p>

Confused, the bandit looked down at the necklace around his neck – a crude piece that the brutish man had assembled himself, a mockery of the decorative accessories often purchased by nobles in the more prosperous provinces of Ylisse. The moment of distraction was all Gaius needed. The bandit looked up in time to see a silver flash, and Gaius's expertly thrown dagger buried itself in the brute's eye.

Gaius reclaimed his dagger quickly, and inspected the dead bandit's necklace. "Man, you really did a number on these shells," he groaned. "Good thing there's plenty of them lying around. I still can't believe how much the merchants in Ylisstol charge for these, when they're scattered all over this beach."

The rogue casually scooped up a handful of shells. "Hmm… this should be enough to buy myself a nice cake when we get home. I might even have enough shells left over to make some nice jewelry," Gaius mused, thinking of Maribelle. When he first joined the Shepherds, she alone mistrusted him even after several months, and with good reason: Gaius had almost gotten her father executed. But a few months ago, seemingly out of nowhere, the noblewoman suddenly decided she wanted to hear his side of the story. She had been quite a bit nicer to him ever since. Too nice, in fact, Gaius felt. Though Maribelle insisted he had redeemed himself long ago, given his background, Gaius hardly felt as if he had truly earned her forgiveness, and the guilt that accompanied undeserved gratitude stung more painfully than any wound might.

Then an idea struck Gaius. The Shepherds were still operating on a limited budget, and he had seen firsthand how much work it was for Robin to allocate their funds appropriately between weapons and supplies. Gaius unfurled a large, burlap sack and began gently gathering the fragile seashells. A sack full of these could relieve the company of their financial woes for some time. The hardest part would be figuring out how to get these funds into the coffers without attracting attention.

* * *

><p>Cordelia felt a little bit guilty as she directed Catria to bring her closer to the sea, instead of in pursuit of the bandits. But the battle was pretty much over already, and she really couldn't resist. She unlaced her plated metal riding boots, and sat on the sand, close enough that the waves would lap against her feet, enjoying the feel of the cool water splashing against her bare skin. She sat there for several moments, content to gaze upon the shimmering waves.<p>

"The sparking blue water… the rhythm of the waves… the ocean is so romantic," Cordelia said wistfully. As she spoke her thoughts aloud, she thought of another night, back during the Second Plegian War, where she had sat quietly at the edge of a river, reflecting upon her own thoughts.

The day she met Robin.

She hardly thought it romantic at the time. In fact, she had been plagued with thoughts of her fallen comrades at the time, and she had only known the tactician for a few hours. When Robin found her, his own reassurances were clumsy and awkward, but it was a heartwarming reminder that she wasn't alone, and that even someone she barely knew was willing to stand by her in her time of need. What had initially promised to be a painful night of reflection had instead become a treasured memory.

A glint caught her attention, ending her reverie. Cordelia smiled when she realized it was a beautiful seashell, half-buried in the sand. She looked around, noting several others just like it scattered all along the beach. As she scooped it out, she marveled at the beautiful shades of red and pink, and the cool, smooth feel. "No wonder Maribelle loves jewelry made from sea shells," Cordelia said quietly. Her own hairclips had been selected for her by Maribelle years ago, when they visited the Ylisstol markets together, and were supposedly carved from a similar material.

As Catria approached, curious to see what had so captivated her rider's interest, Cordelia noticed her javelin quiver, and the rather plain javelins within. Before long, she had a small pile of seashells of various shapes, colors, and sizes gathered, and was carefully threading them onto her javelins. She felt rather childish, but they looked as exotic and beautiful as she had hoped.

"Hello, Cordelia," Robin greeted kindly, as he approached. Cordelia flinched, and spun to see her husband standing only a few paces away, wearing an amused smile.

"Oh! Robin!" Cordelia exclaimed, blushing as she remembered they were supposed to be chasing down the bandits. She glanced around quickly – at least it looked as if all the bandits had already been killed or captured.

"What are you up to?" Robin asked, as he eyed the javelins. He carefully selected one decorated with light blue and pale pink spiral seashells, and held it up, inspecting it closely.

Cordelia cast her mind about, frantically searching for some excuse, as she was rather uncomfortable admitting that she was collecting seashells and decorating her javelins in the middle of a battle. "I'm just… testing new ways to increase a javelin's range!" she blurted, cursing herself silently for coming up with such a feeble excuse. "The seashells look pretty aerodynamic, don't they?" she added lamely.

"Really?" Robin said, as he pretended to be impressed. "Mind if I try one out?" he asked, hefting the javelin.

"Wait, no! Not that one!" Cordelia protested even as Robin swung his arm forward, as if to hurl the javelin out to sea. She sighed in relief when Robin didn't complete the throw, holding onto the javelin instead.

Robin burst out laughing, unable to help himself. He knew his wife's habit of decorating javelins quite well, and the artistic woman really was quite skilled at it, though the decorations rarely served any practical purpose. "They're very beautiful," he admitted, still smiling.

Cordelia blushed. "I'm… I'm so sorry, Robin, I know I shouldn't be wasting time in the middle of a battle," she apologized hastily.

"It's fine, Cordelia. Honest," Robin reassured. "It wasn't much of a battle anyhow, and you work harder than anyone else in the Shepherds. You could really use a break every now and then, Cordelia."

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Look who's talking."

"This is my break," Robin answered, smiling slyly. "Watching my adorable wife play with seashells on the beach."

Cordelia's cheeks flushed red again. "A-adorable?" she stammered.

"You only look cuter when you're flustered," Robin explained, smirking.

"Damn it, Robin! Stop teasing me!" Cordelia protested, though she was now laughing. She raised the javelin she had been in the middle of decorating, and spun it around before jabbing the blunt end of the shaft towards her husband.

"Whoa!" Robin cried out as he sidestepped the lunge. Not expecting the sudden attack, though, the abrupt move caught him off balance, and he stumbled, unable to step away in time as Cordelia suddenly rushed up to him. She quickly wrapped her arms around him, before pressing her lips to his.

"Got you!" Cordelia proclaimed gleefully, as she pulled away a moment later.

Robin looked at her blankly for a moment, before he heard a soft whistle. "Damn it, Vaike," Robin muttered, blushing. He was mortified when he turned and saw, not just Vaike, but Donnel, Lissa, and Sully, watching and smiling. Lissa waved cheerfully as their gazes met.

"Now who's flustered?" Cordelia said teasingly.

"I can't believe you'd kiss me in front of all of our friends, just like that," Robin laughed, embarrassed.

"Why not? We _are_ married," Cordelia reminded. "I can kiss you whenever I want to."

"I guess you're right," Robin conceded.

"Aren't I always?" Cordelia pressed, smiling, as she grabbed his hand. "The ocean is so beautiful, Robin. Let's go for a walk."

* * *

><p>The view from within the resort was even more beautiful than Robin had imagined, he realized, as he and Cordelia sat together on their bed, gazing through the window. The shimmering reflection of the moon and stars was clearly visible on the glistening waves. As they sat there in comfortable silence, they could hear the rhythmic waves splashing faintly against the docks beneath them.<p>

Anna and her sisters had been more than willing to extend the hospitality of their resort to their rescuers, although Robin could have sworn he heard their merchant friend muttering something about endorsements. Still, he wasn't about to complain. The resort really was quite luxurious, decorated and furnished beautifully, with incredibly comfortable accommodations. The ocean breeze was rather chilly in the evenings, but their bed was amazingly soft, as was the thick and warm down blanket.

Dinner had been quite palatable as well, although they actually had to prepare the meal themselves. There were plenty of fresh ingredients on hand, but Anna and her sisters usually only cooked for themselves, and they hadn't hired the cooks for the resort quite yet. It didn't prove to be much of a problem, as Stahl, Gaius, Frederick, and Cordelia were all fairly good cooks, and soon, the dinner table was laden with some of the best seafood dishes any of them had ever eaten.

"This place is beautiful," Cordelia whispered softly. She smiled when she felt Robin nod, her head still resting against his shoulder. "I wish this night could last forever," Cordelia added dreamily.

The words gave Robin an idea. "Hmm… you know, I doubt the harvest festival could be anywhere near as nice as this," Robin remarked, and Cordelia turned to him, astonished. "Why don't we see if Anna would be willing to let us stay here for a couple weeks instead?" he offered.

"Really?" Cordelia asked, clearly enthralled with the idea. "You mean it?"

"Sure," Robin replied lightly. "We could send the others home ahead of us. It was only a three-day march; we can probably make it in just over a day on Catria."

"That sounds amazing," Cordelia admitted, looking out over the sea once more. "You don't think Anna would mind?"

Robin grinned. "I'll just offer to tell her more about the firework show we put on the other night," he said. "You saw how obsessed she was. I bet she's imagining how much she could make selling them."

"Probably," Cordelia said with a laugh. "Thank you, Robin."

"I'm enjoying this as much as you are," Robin pointed out cheerfully.

Cordelia sighed contentedly. "I love you, Robin. I always will," she promised.

"I love you, too, Cordelia."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Disclaimer: The characters, the setting, and any cover images used belong to Intelligent Systems. I do not own Fire Emblem, or any part of IS.<em>**

**This is my cover of the "Summer Scramble" DLC map. I've never actually played this particular map, so I was mostly going off the script and a couple videos. The fan service in the actual map feels a bit overdone to me, but some of the dialogue was decent. Incidentally, this DLC map is where I originally derived a lot of Gaius's characterization.**

**This is why I tried to keep the main story plot-driven. I'm afraid I might be even worse at writing romance than writing in general. But I really wanted to write ****_some_**** stories for Robin and Cordelia to fill the gap between Reign of the Mad King and Rise of the Conqueror, and this piece came to mind. Hopefully this work will be readable when I'm finished editing.**

**Also, I apologize if the impromptu firework show seems out of place. The technology is all there in the game's setting, and much of it is referenced already in Miriel's support conversation, so I thought it was appropriate. Still, it was a spontaneous addition when I accidentally wrote myself into a corner, and started desperately thinking, "Okay, if I was Robin, how could I flush a bunch of risen out of the forest, from a safe distance?" Good thing wizards are known for their fireworks, right?**

**I also couldn't resist the reference to one of my favorite T.V. series, although it's a vague enough reference, and paraphrased sufficiently that at this point, I don't think anyone will recognize it.**


	3. Paralogue 2: Sojourn in Ferox

**Paralogue 2: Sojourn in Ferox**

Chrom sighed, and clenched his hands, gripping the arms of the regal, golden throne so tightly that his knuckles whitened. Beside him, his wife and queen giggled, and, sensing his distress, reached over, draping her hand gently over his.

"I'm sorry, but the Shepherds are not trained to build roads," Chrom explained, in as cordial of a tone as he could manage, trying to keep his exasperation from showing.

"But, your majesty, the roads between Ylisstol and Hyperion have grown treacherous of late!" the weedy-looking nobleman protested, his white silk garments shaking as he trembled in an agitated manner. "Why should Duke Asteria receive your unwavering support, when my faithful people remain disregarded?" As he spoke, the wiry man's thin mustache bobbed up and down, and his indignant expression looked almost comical. But the prince wasn't amused.

"Duke Hyperion, I have explained before," Chrom reminded impatiently. "Our construction efforts are focused in Asteria and Themis for the time being, because many of their bridges and roads were thoroughly damaged during the Second Plegian War."

"The war has been over for nearly a year," the angry duke grumbled. "And our roads are thoroughly worn, too."

"I am aware," Chrom said heavily. "My consultant has assured me that the laborers in Themis should be finished within the next month. Once they are finished, I will direct their attention to Hyperion."

"Then our roads will remain unusable for months to come!" the duke whined.

"Are the roads truly in such deplorable condition?" Sumia interrupted. "Only yesterday, some tomato farmers from Hyperion arrived in Ylisstol, bearing carts full of produce."

"That may be true, milady," the duke admitted. "Some roads remain in usable condition, but at least a third of them have fallen into disuse."

"I understand the challenges you and your people face," Chrom said sympathetically, although any compassion was feigned – almost all of the direct roads from Themis had been thoroughly ruined, as it was closest to the Border Pass where the Ylissean army had marched during the Second Plegian War. By the end of the winter months, most travelers from Themis had been rerouted north. "And I promise we will attend to your needs as soon as possible."

"Can the Shepherds not help us?" the duke pleaded pitifully. "I've heard many stories of their exploits all over the kingdom, and only recently, a merchant informed me that they were available."

"The Shepherds are currently out of Ylisstol, dealing with a risen incursion in Themis. An incursion that has slowed our reconstruction efforts," Chrom said curtly. "In other words, they are already working for your benefit; without their help, our projects in Themis would take even longer, and would further delay the construction in Hyperion. And even if they weren't currently pre-occupied, the Shepherds aren't builders."

"In Themis?" the duke asked, confused. "My informant indicated they were in the south, vacationing in a resort on the coastline."

Chrom groaned, having a fairly good idea who this "informant" was. "Your informant was mistaken. The Shepherds stayed in the south only a single night, after pursuing both risen and bandits in that region. Not to mention, that was over a month ago. Now, I'm afraid, Duke Hyperion, there is little more I can offer you today. Unless you have other concerns or requests?"

"No, sire," the duke admitted, though he still looked rather peeved. As he stepped out of the throne room, Chrom watched impassively, pressing his lips tightly together.

"I can't do this anymore," Chrom moaned, as soon as the door was shut.

"You're doing fine," Sumia reassured. "You know how most noblemen are. They'll bluster and whine no matter what."

Chrom sighed again. "I know. Ylissean politics are just so… convoluted. Maybe we should adopt the Feroxi ways, instead. I'm so tired of mincing words with that Duke Hyperion; this is his fourth visit in three months, and every time I find myself wishing I could just knock him unconscious and send him home."

Sumia couldn't help but laugh. "Chrom! You shouldn't say things like that about your retainers," she berated, though she couldn't really disagree. "Besides, in Ferox, they usually choose champions to do their fighting for them."

"So I'll have to ask Robin to give him a good shocking instead," Chrom said with a shrug, smiling as he indulged the fantasy of Duke Hyperion being jolted straight out of his boots.

"I mean, the duke would probably hide behind his champion," Sumia clarified. "I'm not entirely sure Feroxi politics are as clean as you hope, my love," she said. A loud knock interrupted her, and when Chrom invited the visitor to enter, a Feroxi messenger was ushered into the room by one of the castle attendants.

"We'll see," Chrom said, amused by the coincidental timing of this visit. "How can I help you?" the prince asked graciously, turning to the visitor.

"Prince Chrom, I bring word from West-Khan Basilio of Ferox," the messenger announced.

Chrom blinked. "I thought East-Khan Flavia remained the reigning khan, at least until this year's tournament," Chrom said. "Is this a personal matter, then?"

"No, sire. Khan Basilio begs your assistance in a critical matter, pertaining to the safety of all of Ferox," the messenger corrected. "A difficult situation has arisen, and Khan Basilio would like to borrow the services of the Ylissean tactician and mastermind, Sir Robin."

"I'm afraid Robin is indisposed at the moment," Chrom said. "He will likely not return to Ylisstol for a couple days. Is there some other way we may be able to help?"

"I'm afraid the khan did not provide me with any additional details," the messenger said apologetically. "But although the situation is urgent, Khan Basilio knew it would take at least a few days for Robin to make his way north. It would be timely enough if Sir Robin could present himself at the western castle of Regna Ferox sometime within the next ten days."

"Alright… well, I'll notify Robin when he returns to Ylisstol," Chrom agreed hesitantly, surprised at the secrecy. "I can't make any promises, of course, but if the situation is truly so urgent, then Ylisse will try to assist however we may. In the meantime, you are welcome to stay the night in the castle."

"Thank you, sire," the messenger answered politely, with a deep bow. Chrom gestured to one of the attendants, who promptly approached to lead the messenger to Castle Ylisse's guest quarters.

"I'm glad Ferox is free of political intrigue," Sumia said, with just a hint of sarcasm evident in her voice.

Chrom frowned. "That was strange," he admitted. "Why would Khan Basilio suddenly need a tactician?"

"He might not," Sumia said with a shrug. "Robin's good with more than just tactics. Maybe Basilio just wants to consult with him on something like… I don't know, fortifying some cities that are having trouble with risen?"

"Maybe," Chrom said. Though Robin had been hesitant to accept the post of hierarch, he proved more than worthy of the title. Whenever the Shepherds were here in Ylisse, Chrom relied heavily on his friend's invaluable advice for all sorts of matters, ranging from rerouting roads to resolving disputes in the marketplace. The tactician's reputation had grown enormously as well. Ever since they met, Robin had willingly fought alongside the Shepherds, but his skill with the blade and tome had always been overshadowed by his gift for tactics, until his victory over King Gangrel. These days, many hailed Robin as the greatest warrior in Ylisse. Chrom knew better than to challenge his friend for the title. During the Second Plegian War, the two friends sparred frequently, and were at least even, but Robin had been honing his skills continuously while Chrom was stuck here on his throne. Still, he didn't begrudge Robin's rightfully-earned, and well-deserved title. "Robin is certainly a man of many talents."

"Not cooking, though," Sumia remarked cheerfully. Cordelia had been more than eager to share her stories of her husband's attempts at cooking. Apparently, his dismal failures could only be surpassed by Chrom's. To be fair, Sumia wasn't a particularly skilled cook either, although she compensated through perseverance. It worked for her, but persistence alone wasn't enough to save either Chrom or Robin's efforts, it seemed.

"Well, if old Basilio wants Robin to help him prepare a feast, he'll be sorely disappointed," Chrom said with a grin. Suddenly, he frowned. "Wait a moment… you don't think something could've happened to Flavia, do you?" Chrom asked urgently.

"To Flavia?" Sumia asked. "What do you mean?"

"What if Flavia got herself in trouble, somehow? That could be why Basilio is reaching out to us instead, but he doesn't know how to handle it so he's keeping it quiet from his men," Chrom theorized.

Sumia's eyes widened. "That's… possible, I suppose. And if Basilio is just looking for advice, then it makes sense why he's reaching out to Robin specifically," she said thoughtfully.

"Damn. This could actually be pretty serious," Chrom muttered. "I hope the Shepherds aren't held up on their way back to Ylisstol."

* * *

><p>As a matter of fact, Robin <em>was<em> being held up at the moment, although certainly not in the way that Chrom had envisioned. The Shepherds had made it back to Ylisstol two days ahead of schedule. The rest of the Shepherds were already making for their normal hangout in their garrison. Robin and Cordelia were on their way to the throne room, when they were accosted by a rather weedy looking nobleman, dressed in fancy, gold-trimmed white silk clothing.

"Ah! You must be Hierarch Robin himself!" the nobleman said deferentially, quickly prostrating himself before the tactician. "Your reputation precedes you, sir! I can see the spark of ancient wisdom in your youthful eyes, and you move with the grace and skill well-befitting the finest warrior of our kingdom! Although, I must admit, your reputation failed to adequately describe your handsome and noble image!"

Robin looked at the stranger, stunned. He glanced at Cordelia, who giggled, thoroughly amused to see her husband so flustered by the nobleman's eloquent flattery. But Duke Hyperion had a few words for her, as well.

"And you must be Lady Cordelia!" the nobleman exclaimed, rounding upon the woman. "The greatest Pegasus knight Ylisse has ever known! The stories were certainly not exaggerating when they spoke of your incredible beauty, milady," he finished, and he politely reached out for Cordelia's hand.

Not fond of the custom of a nobleman kissing a lady's hand, Cordelia only smiled and nodded, accepting the compliments silently. Robin, noting his wife's discomfort, quickly intervened. "I'm sorry, sir, but it appears you have us at a disadvantage. I'm afraid we have not met before," he said.

"Only once, in the passing, I'm afraid," the nobleman said, smiling. "We met at the prince's wedding, but I don't believe we spoke. And I'm afraid my own appearance is hardly deserving of a reputation of its own, although I suspect you know _of_ me, for I am the duke of the province of Hyperion."

"Indeed, I have heard of you," Robin admitted, tactfully keeping his immediate thoughts silent. Chrom complained about this particular noble fairly often. "How might I help you, Duke Hyperion?" As he spoke, he squeezed Cordelia's hand tightly. She, too, had recognized the name, and looked to be on the verge of speaking her thoughts plainly. As Duke Hyperion replied, Robin snuck a glance at Cordelia, who was subtly shaking her head, warning him against getting involved in this nobleman's schemes.

"I have just spoken with our esteemed prince," Duke Hyperion began. "Though, busy as he is, it appears your recent activities may have escaped his notice. He claimed that you were out of the capital, yet here you stand."

"Our mission was completed ahead of schedule," Robin explained quickly, defending Chrom. "In fact, we are on our way to report to the prince."

"I have surmised as much," the duke answered with a wide, predatory smile. "Your talents seem to escape our illustrious ruler's notice. He seemed to believe there was little you could do to assist Hyperion in its current troubles, but I have faith in you, my gifted friend!"

"I'm afraid the tales may have exorbitantly exaggerated my capabilities," Robin replied modestly. "But perhaps you could elaborate on these troubles your province faces."

"Ah, tis a sad tale indeed," the duke said dramatically. "Our roads have grown treacherous, of late, and many of my people have suffered greatly. They are begging my help, as it is no longer safe for them to travel here to Ylisstol to peddle their wares. Soon, it may begin to affect the marketplace here, too. As you well know, Hyperion's fertile soil is the source of much of Ylisse's fresh produce!"

Robin's expression grew grave. "Are your people being threatened by highwaymen? Or does your trouble concern the risen?"

"If only our troubles could be so trivial," the duke said, shaking his head sadly. "I'm afraid the very terrain conspires against us! Many of our damaged cobblestone roads chip and damage the wheels of our carts, and at least one of our bridges have grown precariously unstable! Do you know, tactician, how many of our crops are lost due to as simple a matter as our carts being overturned by the uneven roads?"

Robin closed his eyes, as he understood Chrom's frustration with this particular politician. "I'm sorry to hear that," he finally said. "But I'm afraid the Shepherds at my command are soldiers, not builders. I will inform Prince Chrom of your troubles, though, and I promise our prince will attend to them as soon as it is possible."

The duke shot him a sad and disappointed look. "I have spoken to the prince already, who believes no help will be forthcoming until the harvest season is nearly over."

"Then I'm afraid there's nothing more we can offer you," Cordelia said firmly. "Enjoy your stay in Ylisstol, Duke Hyperion," she said, with almost mechanical courtesy. She tugged insistently at Robin's hand, who similarly bid the duke farewell.

"Can you _believe_ that man?" Robin protested, the moment they were out of earshot.

Cordelia burst into a fit of giggles. "Sadly, yes," she said, trying to control her laughter. "Sumia's always complaining about him. I feel so bad for her, having to sit there and listen every time the duke demands an audience."

"To think that could have been your fate," Robin said with a smirk.

"Thankfully, I met you instead, and you captivated me with your 'handsome and noble image'," Cordelia teased. "Or was it that bit about the spark of ancient wisdom or whatever?"

Robin groaned. "No wonder Chrom's been trying to find an excuse to get out of here."

"Well, maybe he can go help the duke fix the roads in Hyperion," Cordelia suggested, and they both laughed, as they reached the throne room.

"Hierarch Robin! Lady Cordelia!" the attendant called out in recognition. "Have the Shepherds returned to the capital already?"

Robin nodded. "Indeed. Is the prince busy?"

"No, sire," the attendant answered, as he banged the heavy knocker against the thick wooden door twice in quick succession.

* * *

><p>"Robin? Cordelia?" Chrom asked, surprised, as his friends entered the throne room. "Why are you back so early? You didn't run into any trouble, did you?"<p>

"Hello, Chrom," Robin said politely, as he approached the throne. "No trouble. Well, nothing serious, anyways. Stahl misheard me; I asked him to pack a crate of salted beef, and he packed an entire cart full instead. We didn't realize until we were halfway to Themis, so there wasn't much need for hunting. Incidentally, I hope dinner tonight isn't salted beef."

"How's the baby?" Cordelia asked, as she stepped over to Sumia's side. The queen's condition was now visible, although not blatantly so.

"Fine, I think," Sumia said nervously. "I haven't felt it moving yet, but the healer assured us that that's normal."

"Cordelia, can you please assure your best friend that she looks as beautiful as ever? She won't believe me when I say it," Chrom said, with a faint smile, and both woman chuckled. "How was Themis?"

"We cleaned up the risen pretty quickly. Hopefully that'll be the last of them," Robin said lightly. "We thought we were going to have to spend a few days chasing them down, but it turns out they were all grouped together at one of the construction sites. We stuck around for an extra day just in case there were more reports of them, but decided to come back early when nothing turned up."

"I'm glad you did," Chrom said. "We just got a messenger from Khan Basilio earlier this afternoon. He needs your help, and it sounded pretty urgent."

"From Basilio?" Robin asked, surprised.

"The Feroxi usually handle themselves just fine when it comes to risen and bandits," Cordelia noted worriedly. "Why would they need the Shepherds?"

"Not the Shepherds," Chrom corrected. "Basilio asked specifically for Robin."

"That makes even less sense," Robin remarked. "Feroxi don't usually care for tactics unless they don't have a choice."

"It might not be tactics," Sumia said hesitantly. "Chrom and I are worried something might have happened to Flavia. Otherwise, wouldn't it be Khan Flavia reaching out to us? She's the reigning khan, not Basilio."

"The messenger couldn't give us any more details, so it sounds like whatever happened, Basilio is trying to keep it quiet for now," Chrom added. "Maybe he's hoping for some advice, since he doesn't know what to do."

"That's possible," Robin said pensively. "Regna Ferox is a week's march from here, though."

"The messenger did say anytime in the next ten days would be fine," Sumia said.

"Still, if it's really that urgent, we should probably try to set out as soon as possible," Robin decided. "Though I was hoping I could give the Shepherds a short rest before setting out again."

"If Basilio only needs to see Robin, we could fly there," Cordelia suggested. "Catria can get us there in just under two days."

Robin nodded deferentially. "Good idea." Then he grinned deviously. "We'll try not to be gone too long, but I suppose Chrom would have to lead the Shepherds in my place while we're gone."

Cordelia looked at him curiously, but upon seeing his smile, caught on immediately. "That's right, we just received another request for help, didn't we?" she said, with a playful smile of her own.

Chrom's eyes lit up. "Of course," he agreed nonchalantly, trying to keep his eagerness from showing. "Where were you headed?"

"I don't know, it sounds like it could be pretty dangerous," Robin said, feigning concern.

Sumia's eyebrows raised at that, but Chrom seemed unbothered. "If you can handle it, so can I," he insisted.

"If you say so," Robin said, smiling slyly. "We met a rather colorful gentleman earlier today who seemed to think the Shepherds could help him fix the roads and bridges in Hyperion."

For a moment, Chrom's face screwed up in confusion. Then, he groaned. "Damn it, Robin, don't get my hopes up like that," he complained, as Robin, Cordelia, and Sumia all burst out laughing.

* * *

><p>Robin closed his eyes, as the wind rushed by, enjoying the tickling sensation as Cordelia's long, lustrous, red hair brushed against his face. Though Catria had been fitted with a saddle suitable for two riders, Robin still kept his arms wrapped loosely around Cordelia's waist, as he watched the roads, trees, and towns pass by below. He couldn't help but marvel at how different the familiar scene looked from the sky.<p>

He could still remember his first flight astride a Pegasus. The Shepherds had been ambushed by Plegian wyvern knights, and all of the Pegasus knights accompany them had already been incapacitated. It was the day Robin had met Cordelia, for she had flown to their side to deliver the news of the fall of the capital. In a rather impulsive decision, born of sheer desperation, Robin had ordered Cordelia to fly him closer to the approaching aerial foes, who were extremely susceptible to wind magic. The plan almost went awry immediately, when the aerial movement completely disoriented Robin. Thankfully, he recovered quickly enough to put his tome to proper use, and the flying magical artillery became one of his more commonly employed strategies.

"Do you still remember when you and Sumia were training Ricken and me to ride the Pegasi?" Robin asked reminiscently.

"Of course," Cordelia said. "I was pretty disappointed when you paired me with Ricken, instead of flying with me."

"You wouldn't have wanted me flying with you back then. I nearly threw up about three times that afternoon," Robin admitted.

"You think Ricken did any better?" Cordelia laughed. "Besides, I knew you weren't so comfortable flying already. We flew together once before, remember? Back at Breakneck Pass?"

"All too well. I was just thinking about that, actually." As he spoke, Robin leaned forward, resting his chin gently on Cordelia's shoulder. "We should find an excuse to go flying alone more often," he murmured.

"We should," Cordelia agreed, her tone wistful.

* * *

><p>As the Feroxi messenger instructed, Cordelia and Robin made their way towards the western castle instead. It made Robin a little bit nervous – the Feroxi hadn't recognized Prince Chrom on their first trip into Ferox a year ago, and had attacked them on sight. They had crossed through a gate further in the east before; odds were, they wouldn't be recognized on sight here.<p>

So when they arrived at the Longfort, the great fortress that lined the Ylisse-Ferox border, they drifted idly for some time, staying out of range of any bow-wielding sentries that may have been posted and wondering how to approach them safely.

They needn't have worried. In times of peace, the sentries were far more relaxed, and had been forewarned by Khan Basilio, anyways. When the Feroxi guards spotted the Pegasus, they raised both the Feroxi flag and the Ylissean flag, signaling to their guests. When Cordelia spotted the mark of the exalt peering at them from their own kingdom's blue flag, she and Robin knew their arrival had been expected. When they landed, the guards expressed their surprise at seeing the tactician so soon. But they recognized both of them immediately, and politely escorted them to Khan Basilio's castle.

The castle was outwardly identical to Khan Flavia's castle. Robin had only been here once before, when Chrom had fought a duel against Basilio's champion, Marth, championing Flavia in exchange for her promise of Ferox's support for the Second Plegian War. Of course, they learned soon after that Chrom had been had; Khan Basilio was far more reasonable than Khan Flavia gave him credit for, and would've been more than willing to support the Ylisseans.

"It's a little bit cold, isn't it?" Cordelia remarked, as they crossed the castle's threshold.

"Ferox is always like this," Robin replied with a shrug. Even the summer months were quite chilly here in Ferox.

"Not the weather," Cordelia corrected quickly. "The castle itself. It just feels a little bit… plain," she said, pausing slightly in her search of an appropriate word.

"Utilitarian," Robin said with a smile. "The Feroxi are pretty pragmatic when it comes to interior design."

"That we are," a familiar, gruff voice agreed. The couple turned to see Khan Basilio waiting for them in the hallway. At first, they both felt a little uneasy, afraid they had unintentionally insulted their friend, but Basilio's hearty laughter quickly disavowed them of that notion. "Welcome back to Ferox!" he said warmly.

Basilio was perhaps the most intimidating man Robin had ever met, save for perhaps their friend and former Shepherd, Gregor. The tall, dark-skinned, Feroxi man kept his head shaved bald, though he left a bit of stubble on his chin. He wore a fine black eye-patch over his left eye, and was never seen without his heavy, golden armor or hefty axe. Despite his fierce appearance and often stern expression, Basilio was deceptively friendly.

"Hello, Khan Basilio," Robin answered politely. "We received your message in Ylisstol two days ago."

"And manage to beat the messenger back here, too," Basilio said with a broad smile. "It's nice to see you two again. How's married life treating you?"

"It's wonderful," Robin said with a smile. "Though not as different as I would've guessed."

"But we're happier than we've ever been," Cordelia said, smiling as well and holding Robin's hand tightly. But her expression grew serious. "Khan Basilio, what did you need Robin for? Your request sounded pretty urgent."

"Oh it's urgent," Basilio confirmed, nodding gravely.

"Is it about Flavia?" Robin guessed nervously.

"Indeed," Basilio said. "If we don't get this straightened out, all of Ferox could be in danger."

Robin winced. "Did something happen to Flavia?"

Basilio grinned wickedly. "Not yet," he said ominously, and both Robin and Cordelia looked at him, perplexed. "But I can't to see her reaction when you blast that Gregor off his feet, boy," Basilio continued.

"Gregor? What does he have to do with this?" Robin asked, confused.

But Cordelia had figured it out first, and spoke before Basilio could. "No," she said firmly.

"Aw, come on, lass! It's only fair after Flavia brought in _Chrom_ last year!" Basilio pleaded.

Robin groaned, wondering how he could have possibly missed the significance of the timing. Almost exactly a year had passed since his first visit to Ferox. The tournament to decide the reigning khan would be held in just under two weeks. "Basilio, your messenger said this was a _critical_ matter. One that pertained to the safety of all of Ferox!" Robin said, exasperated.

"And so it is! Flavia's rule is the biggest threat that Ferox has seen in years," Basilio justified. "Come on, boy! You've got to help me out here!"

"You're not sending my _husband_ into your arena," Cordelia hissed, glaring at Basilio.

"I won't," Basilio promised. "The battle is being fought in Flavia's arena this year," he added with a wry grin. Cordelia's glare only intensified, and to Robin's surprise, the normally unshakable khan actually looked a little bit nervous.

"Sorry Basilio, Cordelia's right," Robin said quickly, as he quickly wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders.

"There won't be any danger!" Basilio protested. "I'd bet my big brown Feroxi ass that you'd knock Gregor flat with one damn spell!"

"I thought magic was prohibited in duels," Robin reminded. "And besides, that's not the point."

"Well, you've got a fine enough point," Basilio joked, gesturing at Eternity. "I've seen you fight, boy! Sword or tome, there's not a champion Flavia can find who'd stand against you for long!"

"No thanks," Robin said, shaking his head. "I'm not getting caught up in Feroxi politics again. Don't you still have Lon'qu fighting for you?"

"You have no idea who Gregor is, do you?" Basilio said with a grimace. "The sell sword used to live in Ferox, years ago. He's the only man I've ever met who could match me in single combat. Lon'qu's tough, but it's gonna be pretty damn close."

Robin raised an eyebrow at that. It was quite unusual for the proud khan to admit anyone was his equal, in terms of strength. "Gregor's supposedly your equal, and you think I could take him on?" Robin asked, surprised.

"And coming from me, that's pretty high praise," Basilio boasted, nodding vigorously. "So, will you do it, then? Come on, boy, don't leave me hanging here!"

"Sorry," Robin apologized again. "If you think _I'm_ scary, you haven't seen Cordelia when she's angry. I'm pretty sure she'd skewer me if I said yes," he teased, directing the last comment towards the woman, hoping to turn her attention away from the khan, for Cordelia's hand was sliding closer and closer to her lance, Passion. She turned and glared at him, instead, but when she saw his disarming smile, she relaxed visibly.

"Damn it, boy," Basilio grumbled. But then his eyes lit up. "What about you then, lass?" he offered, turning to Cordelia.

"We're leaving," Robin said abruptly, and Cordelia couldn't help but laugh at his reaction, now that the tables had been turned.

"No thank you," Cordelia declined politely, as she gripped Robin's hand tightly, holding him in place.

"Bah!" Basilio grouched, disappointed. "You two are no fun at all," he said, rolling his eyes. But his disappointment didn't remain for long, and he burst out laughing again. "Still, there's no need to leave so soon, is there? Why don't you stick around for a couple weeks? I'm sure your old friends would love to see you again."

"And what's the catch, this time?" Robin asked suspiciously.

"No catch. Well, other than you cheering for my man in the arena. But I figured you'd be cheering both of them on anyways," Basilio said with another hearty laugh.

* * *

><p>Perhaps Basilio felt guilty for bringing Robin and Cordelia to Ferox under false pretenses. Or perhaps he just wanted to make Flavia nervous. Either way, Basilio quickly had the couple settled into one of his castle's guest rooms, furnished in the typical Feroxi style, with plain, hard wood furniture and a few thick, but rather rough quilts. The rough accommodations didn't bother Robin or Cordelia, as they were still more comfortable than camping in the wild, which they were both well-accustomed to. The two castles in Regna Ferox were only situated a few miles apart, but the afternoon was already growing late, so Robin suggested they wait until the following day before visiting Flavia in the eastern castle. Cordelia agreed easily, and with little else to do, the two of them set off for a walk around the castle grounds, hoping to catch a glimpse of the friends who remained at Basilio's side.<p>

"Lon'qu!" Cordelia called out, when they spotted their friend, a skilled Feroxi swordsman, sparring with a pair of other Feroxi soldiers in one of the numerous training yards. The sound of her voice distracted him, and the soft-spoken swordsman turned around in shock. Seeing the opening, one of the soldiers he was sparring with lunged forward, sword leading.

The distraction was real, but calculated as well. Without looking, Lon'qu arced his sword upwards, easily deflecting the hurried thrust. Lon'qu then pivoted, coming around in a full spin, and the padded blade slammed into his opponent's side with a loud thud. The move was both showy and effective, but the finishing position left Lon'qu's balance skewed forward. Knowing it would be difficult for his opponent to react, the remaining Feroxi soldier quickly rolled past Lon'qu's left, emerging into a quick downwards thrust of his own.

He had hoped to force Lon'qu to stumble away, the poor balance leaving the veteran swordsman vulnerable, but Lon'qu had expected as much, and advanced instead. The panicked soldier thrust his own sword directly forward prematurely, upon seeing his enemy close in, and Lon'qu weaved around the thrust easily, snaking his hand out and clasping his opponent's wrist before wrenching the weapon out of the way. His opponent fell back, but Lon'qu pressed on, quickly claiming the fallen sword in his left hand, even as he struck forward with his own sword.

Robin winced, as he watched Lon'qu jab both training weapons into his opponent's chest. "I think that's enough, Lon'qu," Robin said with a weak smile, recalling his own first sparring match with the fierce Feroxi warrior. Though the training weapons and thick cloth padding prevented any serious harm, the outmatched tactician had emerged from the session thoroughly bruised and beaten. There was little room for compassion in Feroxi training, it seemed.

"What are you doing here, Robin?" Lon'qu demanded gruffly, guessing the worst. Though he would never admit it, being dethroned the previous year by the mysterious Marth had wounded the former champion's pride. And in the end, Marth had failed Khan Basilio, anyways.

Robin grinned. "Just visiting. Honest. Khan Basilio asked me to champion him, but I wasn't interested."

With a growl, Lon'qu tossed one of the two padded training swords to Robin. "You and me," was the only explanation Lon'qu offered, striking his own combat stance.

Robin shrugged, but before he could heft the blade, Cordelia swiped it from his hands, and settled into the standard Ylissean sword stance herself. "I don't think we've fenced, before," she said to Lon'qu, with a knowing smile.

Lon'qu immediately grew pale and stepped away. "I… umm… would prefer…" he began to stammer. But as he noted Cordelia shaking with suppressed laughter, his eyes narrowed. "Don't mock me!" he demanded angrily.

"Alright, I think that's enough, dear," Robin said, laughing lightly, as he took the training sword back from his wife. All of the Shepherds knew of Lon'qu's strange aversion to women. Like many of the other female Shepherds, Cordelia took no offense, and instead often took any opportunity to tease their poor friend.

Lon'qu's jaw set as he lifted his sword once more, holding it up over his shoulder, horizontally, and pointing it forward in his favored stance against other swordsmen. The rather unorthodox position limited his openings, Robin knew, but with Lon'qu's speed, the aggressive stance afforded him more than enough angles of attack. In response, Robin held his own weapon casually at his side. "Ready yourself," Lon'qu insisted.

"I'm ready," Robin said with a confident smile.

Lon'qu snarled, fearing that the tactician was slighting him in adopting such a casual, idle position. But he rushed forward anyways, and with a slight jump, brought his sword arcing down overhead, knowing there was no way for Robin to move his sword into position fast enough and still brace himself for the heavy impact.

The moment Lon'qu shifted his footing, Robin recognized the Feroxi swordsman's angle of attack. He quickly shuffled to the right, just as Lon'qu leapt into the air and was no longer able to change his direction. Lon'qu frantically scrambled away as he touched down, as Robin jabbed his sword lightly forward, forcing Lon'qu back. As Lon'qu recovered his balance, he was put on the back foot immediately, as Robin launched into a flurry of his own. The skilled Feroxi warrior was faster than Robin, and parried the blows easily. But he did not seem to realize how calculated Robin's attacks were, and after only a few seconds, Robin had manipulated Lon'qu's weapon to precisely the position he had hoped. Robin feinted a downward swing, and as Lon'qu's blade predictably rose to parry, Robin retracted his blade and slipped by Lon'qu's side, crouching as he went.

To the Feroxi warrior, it looked as if his opponent had simply disappeared, for Lon'qu's attention had been drawn upwards, and his own sword limited his field of vision even further. Even as Lon'qu realized the deception, Robin's blade came to a rest on his shoulder.

"I hate that one," Cordelia remarked, recognizing the maneuver, as Lon'qu raised his hands in surrender.

"You've grown stronger, Robin," Lon'qu admitted.

"You seem to have kept up your own training," Robin said, trying to keep his friend's spirits up. Some of the Shepherds took their losses pretty hard, and while Sully and Vaike were known for throwing tantrums, Lon'qu only grew more sullen than usual.

But Lon'qu didn't seem to be too disappointed, this time. "I still remember training you, not long after we met. Perhaps it is time for you to return the favor," he suggested, flashing Robin a rare smile.

"Sure," Robin agreed. "We'll be here for a couple weeks, anyways."

"Though we'll probably visit the eastern castle, too," Cordelia interjected. "It's been a while since we've seen Gregor and Flavia."

"Nowi, too, will be pleased to see you," Lon'qu added.

"What about Virion and Olivia?" Cordelia asked. The philandering, silver-tongued archer and the beautiful Feroxi dancer were married not long after returning to Ferox. The other Shepherds had been invited, but most of them were occupied with the reconstruction efforts, and the roads were treacherous during the winter months. Robin and Cordelia had both felt a little bit guilty when Virion and Olivia arrived in Ylisstol for their wedding, alongside the khans, but their friends were more than understanding. In fact, Olivia had voiced her relief that so few were in attendance; she was still impossibly shy, and even the small gathering of her friends in Ferox had nearly overwhelmed her.

"They have their own home. It's not far," Lon'qu replied with a shrug. "Ask Basilio."

* * *

><p>"Ah! Well met, Sir Robin! It has been far too long, my dear friend!" Virion said, beaming, standing at the doorway of his small wooden cottage. "And Lady Cordelia, too. Your beauty has only grown, milady. My heart bleeds to think you never once considered joining me for tea. Perhaps you'd reconsider?" he asked with a deep bow.<p>

"You're _married_, Virion," Robin reminded. "Shouldn't you stop flirting with other women? Especially _my wife_?"

"It's just his way of being polite," Olivia said, giggling, as she approached the doorway. "How have you two been? You should have told us you were visiting."

Cordelia's eyes had gone wide, though, at the sight of the dancer, who was quite obviously pregnant, her belly protruding visibly from her normally slender frame. Olivia blushed shyly when she noticed Cordelia looking at her.

"The baby's due in about three months," Virion explained with a smile.

"You didn't mention this when you were visiting us in Ylisstol," Robin said, similarly surprised. By his estimate, Olivia should have already been almost two months pregnant when she and Virion last visited Ylisstol.

"I wasn't ready for everyone to know," Olivia said shyly. "But I guess it's not so easy to hide anymore," she added. "What brings you two to Ferox?"

"Basilio tried to recruit us for his tournament," Cordelia said, the surprise fading at last. "We turned him down, but he invited us to stay and watch, anyways, so we thought we'd pay you a visit."

"You are certainly welcome to our humble abode," Virion said with a wide smile. "Come on in, dear friends. I was just about to prepare supper, anyhow. You must dine with us tonight!"

"Oh, we'd sooner not impose. I'm sure we can find a meal when we return to the castle," Robin assured.

"Nonsense! I assure you, my culinary art is as fine as anything Khan Basilio might offer," Virion promised.

"At least let me help," Robin offered, but Cordelia elbowed him quickly.

"Oh no you don't," Cordelia said sternly. "You don't know how to cook, Robin."

"Hey, I've read a few cookbooks lately," Robin protested. "Everything will be just fine."

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "That's what you said last time. And then the eggs _exploded_." Robin blushed. He had yet to come up with an adequate explanation for that particular feat, as he was too embarrassed to admit he had simply grown impatient waiting for the water to boil. Eggs did not react well to fire magic, as it turned out.

Noting his embarrassment, Virion interceded quickly on his friend's behalf. "It's no trouble at all, my dear friends," he insisted, as he led them into the house and towards the cozy living room. "Come and sit. I am sure much has happened in Ylisse, and we found little time for casual conversation during our last visit."

* * *

><p>"Oh my gosh! Cordelia! Robin!" Nowi cried ecstatically, as she spotted the two entering Regna Ferox's eastern castle, the following day.<p>

"Oy," Gregor muttered, far less enthusiastically. Though he was as glad as Nowi to see his friends, like Lon'qu, he could guess the purpose of their sudden an unannounced visit. Though the veteran mercenary was one of the strongest warriors in all of Ferox, he didn't relish the thought of facing his tactician friend in the arena.

Even as Cordelia and Robin returned their greetings, a familiar voice interrupted them. "Oh, gods! That dastard! I can't believe that oaf!" Khan Flavia cried out lividly, as she stormed out of the castle to greet her unexpected guests. "How could you possibly agree to this?" Flavia demanded furiously.

Robin couldn't help but laugh at her indignant tone. Flavia hardly had the right to complain, as she had suckered Prince Chrom himself into championing her the year before. "Relax, Flavia, we're not going to be fighting in the arena," he assured.

"You not be fighting against Gregor? That is good news!" Gregor said immediately, in a far happier tone.

Flavia, too, looked relieved. "Really? Sorry, Robin. I didn't know you were coming and you startled me. I thought the great brute was trying to pull a fast one on me!"

"He was," Cordelia admitted.

"But we turned him down," Robin reassured quickly. "I'm afraid neither of us want to be caught up in Feroxi politics," he explained tactfully.

"Good!" Gregor cheered. "Gregor's pay too little to be battling famous tactician."

"Flavia's paying you to champion her?" Cordelia asked, amused.

"Of course!" the mercenary said proudly. "Gregor is sell sword and professional. Gregor is not unsheathing sword unless someone is paying him much gold."

"Ugh. Come on, this is boring. Let's go play!" Nowi interrupted, tugging at Robin's hand. Although she looked like a little girl, as a Manakete, she was far older than her appearance would imply. And despite her childish nature, she was frighteningly strong.

"Sorry Nowi," Robin declined politely. "I'm a little bit busy today," he said, glancing at Cordelia. They had planned to take a walk through the town; Cordelia had spent some time browsing the market with Sumia during their last stay in Regna Ferox, and wanted to visit some of the stores again with her husband.

"Don't worry about it, Robin," Cordelia said brightly. "We can come back tomorrow."

Robin hurriedly searched for another excuse; the night before, Virion had vividly described Nowi's favorite game, which the Manakete called "Duck Duck Dragon." Robin was not eager to witness that particular activity first hand, but Nowi, upon receiving Cordelia's approval, simply dragged the still-protesting tactician along.

Flavia chuckled. "He'd make an interesting father, one day," she remarked, and Cordelia laughed.

"Cordelia look happy," Gregor said approvingly. "Gregor so sorry he missed wedding, had broken leg and could not travel."

"A broken leg?" Cordelia asked, concerned, remembering that alone of their friends in Ferox, Gregor had not been able to journey south to Ylisstol for her wedding. "What happened, Gregor?"

"Difficult battle in arena," Gregor remarked, rubbing his forearm against the back of his head sheepishly. "Most powerful challenger."

"Lon'qu?" Cordelia guessed.

"Nowi," Flavia corrected with a laugh. Alarmed, Cordelia turned towards the castle, where her husband had just been dragged off by the little dragon girl.

"Cordelia need not worry. Robin is careful man," Gregor assured quickly. "Is loving wife dearly, too. Will take care of himself for her, yes?"

* * *

><p>"I'm glad <em>someone<em> finds this entertaining," Robin remarked dryly, lying face down upon the couple's bed. He winced as Cordelia gently applied a cool salve to one of the many bruises lining his bare back. "Ouch."

"Stay still," Cordelia ordered, though her faint smile remained. She sat beside him, pinning him down with one hand, the small jar of salve laying open in her lap. When Robin had returned, looking thoroughly worn out but relatively intact, Cordelia had been quite relieved. But Robin hadn't been lucky enough to escape completely unharmed, as she found out not long after they retired to their room in Basilio's castle. The excitable Manakete had turned their game of tag into a wrestling match, and it amused Cordelia to learn that Robin had lost rather thoroughly, despite Nowi remaining in her human shape. "Seriously, Robin, how could you let one little girl do this to you?"

"She's more energetic than you think," Robin said, wincing again as Cordelia dabbed at a particularly large and angry welt on his shoulder.

"Well, little girls can be pretty excitable," Cordelia admitted. "Still, you got off easy. Apparently, Nowi's been fighting with the Feroxi gladiators in the arena. That's how Gregor broke his leg, and why he didn't make it to our wedding."

"You know, this is pretty emasculating," Robin complained. "Being beaten up by a girl who looks to be ten years old."

"While playing tag," Cordelia reminded cheerfully, and Robin groaned. "Don't worry, Robin. I'm sure you'll feel better after your morning training."

"That depends on whether I can still move in the morning," Robin deadpanned. "And, I suppose, on whether I'm sparring with you or Lon'qu. I still lose to you two times out of three, remember?"

"Haven't you heard? Strong wives make for happy marriages," Cordelia teased, as she covered the jar of salve and set it aside.

Robin sighed contentedly, thoroughly enjoying his wife's gentle touch. "Well, that's true enough, I suppose. I'm certainly happy."

"This little trip has been pretty nice so far, hasn't it?" Cordelia said.

"It's nice to see all our friends again," Robin said. "You know, maybe a vacation like this is just what Chrom and Sumia need. I feel bad for those two. It seems like they've been cooped up in the castle forever."

"Yeah," Cordelia agreed. The tournament was still nearly ten days off, not at all an unpleasant prospect. Despite Ferox's reputation for being a harsh and unforgivable land, it was full of exotic sights, and they had plenty of friends here to catch up with, too.

* * *

><p>A pair of loud knocks rang against the heavy wooden door, echoing loudly through the throne room of Castle Ylisse.<p>

"Oh, gods. Sumia, do you have your lance? If it's that damn Duke Hyperion again, please just run me through," Chrom begged, as he leaned forward in his throne, resting his face in the palms of his hands.

"Sorry, dear," Sumia said with a giggle. "I haven't kept a weapon beside me in months."

"Figures," Chrom sighed. "Come on in," he called, mustering as much enthusiasm as he could. The door slid open, and to the prince's surprise, the attendant ushered a nervous-looking Gaius into the room. "Gaius?"

"Hey, Blue," Gaius greeted uneasily, as the door shut behind him.

"Hello, Gaius," Sumia said cheerily. "Did you need something?"

"Umm… yeah, something like that," Gaius replied. "It's about the princess."

"Lissa?" Chrom asked, surprised. "Is something the matter?"

"Well, no. Not really," Gaius said, still uncharacteristically nervous. "I was just wondering if you could maybe keep her occupied for an afternoon. Say, the day after tomorrow."

"Occupied? What do you mean?" Chrom asked, bewildered.

"Anything, really. Just as long as she's busy," Gaius said evasively.

"Well, Lissa usually spends all afternoon having tea with Maribelle, so you shouldn't have anything to worry about," Sumia said.

"Okay, busy doing anything but that," Gaius amended hastily. "I just… wanted a moment alone with Twinkles. Maribelle." For a moment, both Chrom and Sumia looked at him blankly. Then they realized what he must have meant. Sumia's eyes lit up with excitement, and Chrom smiled. "Uh. I'd appreciate if you kept it under your hat, for now," Gaius stammered.

"Of course!" Sumia said, quivering with excitement. "The day after tomorrow?"

"That's right," Gaius confirmed, nodding.

"That can be arranged," Chrom said. As he spoke, his smile broadened, as an idea occurred to him. "But I need a favor in return, Gaius," he added, and both Sumia and Gaius looked at him in confusion.

"Sure, Blue. What's up?" Gaius asked.

Chrom leaned back in his throne. "I need you to get me out of here. I swear, if one more merchant shows up arguing about who owns whose cat or which market stalls are too colorful, I'm going to die. Even fighting risen isn't this stressful. And gods, if that Duke Hyperion comes back for another audience…" Chrom trailed off.

"Chrom, Gaius can't really help you with that," Sumia said gently.

"Sure I can," Gaius said with a shrug. Chrom and Sumia looked at him curiously. "Well, maybe not. But you and I could step out for a breather. Sample life outside your gilded cage, you know? Maybe it'll put things back in perspective." he said teasingly. "A break couldn't hurt, right?"

"Well, rulers aren't supposed to take breaks," Chrom said, suddenly unsure of the wisdom of his course.

"Bo-ring. Come on, Blue. Just a single evening," Gaius wheedled.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," Sumia said nervously.

Gaius sighed dramatically. "I guess you're right. I hear there's still plenty of roads to be fixed, after all."

"No, you're right, Gaius," Chrom said quickly. "A break sounds good. How about tomorrow, then?" he asked, ignoring Sumia's pointed stare. He'd pay for it later, he knew, but just the mere thought of the duke of Hyperion made his head hurt.

"Sounds good," Gaius said with an enigmatic smile. "Thanks, Blue."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Disclaimer: The characters, the setting, and any cover images used belong to Intelligent Systems. I do not own Fire Emblem, or any part of IS.<em>**

**This short story isn't based on any particular in-game event. It's a narration of some of the events that happened during Robin and Cordelia's visit to Ferox between Reign of the Mad King and Rise of the Conqueror, which was only briefly mentioned before. Some of the details, and small bits of dialogue were borrowed from support conversations.**

**Duke Hyperion / Asteria are original, and pretty much insignificant characters. I'm afraid I might have been a little bit over the top in characterizing Duke Hyperion. As for their names, hopefully they fit - Themis was the name of one of the greek titans, which is how I chose Hyperion / Asteria, too.**

**Like A Summer of Bonds, Sojourn in Ferox is mostly fluff. That's why I left this out of the main story. Even though I tried to focus only on events that weren't mentioned already (for instance, I intentionally skipped over the rest of Robin's sparring with Lon'qu, and Lon'qu's match against Gregor, since both of them would be stale and redundant by this point), it still came out to be longer than any of my normal chapters.**

**Also, I'm well aware that Robin is probably not the worst or second-worst cook among the Shepherds. Thankfully, some of the others rarely find the opportunity to demonstrate their absolute lack of talent in that regards.**

**The next short story won't be posted until I finish posting the third arc, but if you have any suggestions / writing prompts for me, suitable for this world interpretation, feel free to send me them now so that I can take a look. Bye for now... but only for now!**


	4. Paralogue 3: Of Past Distortion and

**Paralogue 3: Of Past Distortion and Future Divergence**

"There it is," Lucina said, in a tone of relief. The young lord's raven-blue hair was disheveled, and the fatigue in her eyes was impossible to miss. As she spoke, she gestured out to sea, where Mount Prism loomed just ahead. The sight filled her with both hope and grief. Here, at long last, was a single ray of light. A hint of a future unblemished by despair. But the fell dragon's reign had taken its toll on the once-sacred place. The legends of Naga's home spoke of pristine beaches and an island blessed in natural splendor.

The scene before them bore no resemblance to the stories. Blood stained the sands, an eternal testament to the final stand of the divine dragon's loyal priests and priestesses. For miles around, the sea was darkened by the ash of tens of thousands of risen, damned to remain devoid of life for decades to come. Scorched earth lay both ahead and behind, with no sign of the fabled tranquil forests, save for the burnt husks of the few remaining trees, their almost skeletal silhouettes wavering slightly in the light breeze.

"This looks pretty bad, Lucy," Cynthia said, looking ahead uneasily. The lord's younger sister remained energetic, as was her nature, but her eager hopes of becoming the heroes to release the world from the wrath of the fell dragon had been dashed long ago. Like Lucina, and the other ten members of their party, she looked worn and ragged, for none of them had had much time to care for themselves. Even now, they knew the risen were in pursuit.

"Are you _sure_ Naga's waiting for us here?" added Lucina's best friend, Severa. The platinum-blond woman stared pointedly at another of their number, a rugged priest with burnt-orange hair and a vicious scar across his left eye.

"Ya doubtin' me!?" the priest, Brady by name, sputtered indignantly. "I told ya what she told me, in the same damn words!"

"Somehow, I find it hard to believe the divine dragon's diction to be as uncouth as yours, my friend," another of Lucina's companions remarked lightly. Lucina turned to the speaker, a young knight named Gerome, half-expecting to see a slight smile, but she should've known better. The dark-haired young man was the most serious of the group, and his expression remained perpetually dispassionate, his eyes barely visible beneath a black metal mask. Beside him, his wyvern screeched uneasily. Gerome's mount had once served his mother, fighting by her side until her untimely fate. The intelligent creature knew full-well the threat of the risen, and seemed uncomfortable waiting idly. "We should be moving," Gerome added, climbing purposely atop of Minerva's back, his shining black armor glinting despite the multitude of scratches and dents. He drew his axe, too, a worn steel weapon bearing many notches.

"Onwards!" Lucina's cousin, Owain, added excitedly. "Together, my fellow champions, we march to a brighter tomorrow!" he declared, with the eccentric and dramatic flourish he was so well known for. Cynthia giggled, and even Lucina cracked a smile at his unending enthusiasm. But Severa glared at him, and Owain shrank away nervously.

"They're right, Sis," their tactician, Severa's younger sister interrupted, trying to forestall another argument between Severa and Owain. "We have to keep moving." Just as Morgan's father, the legendary tactician, Robin, once served Lucina's father, Chrom, Morgan had been more than willing to offer her guidance to Lucina throughout their quest. The young, red-haired girl had grown up idolizing her father, and her greatest disappointment was that despite her best efforts, their quest remained incomplete. Privately, Lucina wondered if even Morgan and Severa's father, with his renowned tactical genius, could have overcome the fell dragon. Of course, the world would never know now. When Lucina's father, Prince Chrom, was slain, Hierarch Robin disappeared at the same time. Some of her father's companions even spoke of betrayal when they returned to Ylisstol. Every last one of the Shepherds was long dead, now. Prince Chrom's most loyal knight, Sir Frederick, was the last to fall, and died in securing an escape for Lucina and Cynthia, from the siege that had fallen upon Castle Ylisse, nearly a decade ago.

"Princess, that ship appears to be in sea-worthy condition." Lucina turned to see another of her knights, a stern young woman named Kjelle, gesturing to a reasonably intact boat about a hundred paces down the beach, amidst several wreckages.

"Good enough, then," Lucina agreed, and she set off, her companions following obediently. Most of them boarded the boat, but Gerome rode just above them, astride Minerva. Cynthia and Morgan were riding on their Pegasi, Caeda and Catria, beautiful equine creatures with white, feathery wings, and flew gracefully overhead, keeping an eye out for any risen who would dare approach from the sky.

After about ten minutes, the small ship had made it halfway towards the island ahead. Approaching their destination did little to ease the tension, for Lucina and her friends knew that their mission now was tantamount to surrendering this world to Grima, the fell dragon. But they had little choice – Grima could only be defeated if Falchion, Lucina's sword, was awakened. The legendary weapon had been passed down her bloodline for thousands of years, and had once belonged to her ancestor, Hero-King Marth. It was used to banish Grima the first time, as well, but the power lay dormant now.

Naga could restore its power only through the use of the Fire Emblem and its five gemstones. The Fire Emblem, once known instead as the Shield of Seals, hung from Lucina's arm, but carried only four of the five fabled gems. The fifth had been lost to the depths of the ocean, and with it, any hopes of defeating despair. But Naga had reached out to Brady with a new plan, instructing them to bring the Fire Emblem and the stones to Mount Prism.

"We're not giving up," Lucina whispered, though she utterly failed in the effort to convince herself. Her soft musings were interrupted by warning cries from above.

"Wyverns!" Morgan called out.

* * *

><p>"This isn't good," Cynthia said nervously, as she, too, spied the cloud of approaching foes. They were still a fair distance away, but the ship sailed slowly, and the risen, mounted upon their undead reptilian mounts, would easily catch them before they reached Mount Prism.<p>

"There's almost a score of them," Morgan said. "I don't think we can meet them in the air – they simply outnumber us too badly."

"If we let them approach the boat, Laurent and Noire can lend a hand," Gerome suggested quietly. His plan had merit – their friends, an experienced mage and skilled archer, respectively, could certainly make a difference. But Morgan shook her head, knowing the risk was too great.

"No, we have to keep them away from the boat," Morgan decided firmly. "The boat itself is vulnerable – if they sink it, all of our friends are doomed."

"Not all of them," Gerome countered. "Lucina has to make it to Mount Prism – we can ensure that, easily enough, even if the boat is lost. Even if two of us have to hold off the rest of the wyverns while the third carries Lucina onward."

"Are you crazy, Gerome!?" Cynthia protested, but Morgan intervened quickly.

"Gerome, Brady said the ritual will take some time. If only Lucina and one more escape, and there's risen waiting for us on Mount Prism, then there's no way they can hold off the risen long enough to complete the ritual," Morgan reminded. "We have to find a way to stop these wyverns, fast." She turned away and inspected the boat instead, hoping to find an answer in the supplies they had brought, or those that were left aboard the boat.

"What are you looking for?" Cynthia asked curiously.

Morgan didn't answer at first, as her gaze continued to sweep the small boat. Then, she smiled. "That," Morgan said, pointing at a large trawling net.

* * *

><p>Lucina watched the wyverns continue their approach nervously. The three fliers had returned, and Morgan quickly instructed the others to help them with the ship's fishing net. It seemed an odd request, but when Gerome proposed his own plan instead, Lucina hastily ordered the others to comply with Morgan's requests.<p>

The princess grasped Morgan's plan easily enough, but the timing would have to be absolutely perfect. Even then, it seemed a bit of a stretch, but Lucina tried her best to suppress her fears as Morgan, Cynthia, and Gerome each held one corner of the unfolded net and soaked it in the ash-darkened seawater. They then flew towards Mount Prism, ascending as they went, appearing as if they were fleeing their pursuers.

The risen were more than happy to direct their attention down towards the seemingly helpless boat, and didn't notice the three Pegasi, now above them, turning back. Laurent, standing beside Lucina, watched their enemies approach. The only indication of his nervousness was the strength of his grip upon his tome.

"Come on, Morgan," Lucina muttered, looking up towards the sky, where she quickly spotted the three riders, still carrying the fishing net. Unfortunately, the net would do little to forestall the powerful wyverns, who had the strength to tear through it even while they were caught in the throes of undeath. The window of timing was small to begin with, but now seemed impossibly narrow. Soon, the undead riders were close enough for Lucina to make out their features, though by now, she and every one of her companions knew what to expect. They had battled many of the creatures with their glowing red eyes and violet-ashen skin.

Morgan waited a bit too long for the comfort of those aboard the ship, but as usual, her timing as impeccable. She grinned. "Time to even the odds," she announced, and she signaled to Cynthia and Gerome, flying beside her.

The three of them dived, casting the net over the wyverns as they went, quickly soaring away to put some distance between them and the unusual projectile. Upon seeing the net released, Laurent waited precisely two seconds, as instructed, before snapping his tome up and releasing a lightning bolt.

The massive trawling net landed over nine of the surprised wyverns, but before they could tear it aside, Laurent's perfectly-timed spell struck. The still-damp fibers of the rope net conducted the electricity well, shocking the captured wyverns brutally and sending them spirally downwards to the dark depths below.

The remaining wyverns and their riders were forced to scatter. Cynthia quickly urged her Pegasus forward, and with a swift thrust of her lance, dismounted another undead rider, as Morgan's powerful wind magic disposed of another pair. Gerome hurried to intercept the escaping wyvern closest to the ship, and the undead wyvern quickly proved no match for its living counterpart, falling victim to Minerva's powerful talons.

In less than a minute, eighteen wyverns became five. Undaunted, the remaining undead wyverns pressed the attack. Three arrows streamed out to meet them, taking one out of the sky immediately. Another thunderous blast from Laurent brought one down, and Morgan, Cynthia, and Gerome joined the fray once more. Lucina watched as Morgan herself beheaded the last of the wyverns with a clean stroke from her fine silver sword, the ruby inlaid in its pommel sparkling visibly even from over fifty feet away.

* * *

><p>Like the world around it, Mount Prism was but a mockery of nature now. The grass had begun to regrow, but much of it remained withered and dry. A few saplings poked up through the desiccated soil, but little of the forest foliage remained. Dead branches and burnt logs littered the ground, and there were no signs of life save for a few insects. Even the birds had abandoned the island.<p>

But after desecrating the sacred place, the risen remained. As their ship landed, Lucina and her companions were immediately met by over three dozen risen, brandishing a variety of rusty and broken weaponry. There was no time for talk or strategy. Lucina charged into the fray immediately, with Severa by her side. The rest of her friends were close behind or flying overhead.

Lucina destroyed two of the risen almost instantaneously, turning aside a poorly aimed chop of an axe and sweeping her blade across, the powerful slash cutting through two foes at once. Battling risen had become so routine to the princess that she didn't even pause to admire her handiwork, and instead, simply rushed forward to skewer a third.

Beside her, Severa proved even deadlier. Severa and Morgan's mother, Cordelia, was well-renowned as one of the most gifted Pegasus knights Ylisse had ever seen, and one of the strongest fighters of Prince Chrom's loyal Shepherds. Their father had been an incredibly skilled swordsman as well, often accredited as the greatest swordsman Ylisse had seen in centuries, surpassing even Prince Chrom himself. Severa certainly lived up to her parents' reputations – her lance was in continuous motion as she leapt into the risen ranks with seeming abandon. Seven risen were immediately caught in her path, and shorn apart by a whirlwind of deceptively accurate sweeps and thrusts.

With Morgan, Noire, and Laurent adding magic and arrows to the chaos from a safe distance, and Cynthia and Gerome swooping down to strike at the risen, the undead warriors were thrown into complete disarray, and Lucina's friends picked them off one at a time with practiced ease.

A pair of risen approached what appeared to be the youngest of Lucina's friends – a little girl, who looked no more than ten years of age, carrying no apparent weapon besides a small stone. But all of Nah's companions knew better than to fear for the Manakete. She even offered the two risen a slight smile as she shape-shifted into an iridescent green dragon, nearly four times the size of her normal form. The crude iron weapons bounced off Nah's scales harmlessly, and she breathed a devastating wave of ice, obliterating the two monstrosities.

"Not to complain… but are you entirely certain about this?" Inigo, a young man with light-blue hair asked their priest, as he disemboweled the last of the risen. "This place reeks with despair… can the divine dragon really call this place home, still?"

"That's what she said," Brady grouched. "You got a problem with that, take it up with her when we find her!"

"Well, if we find her, there won't be a problem," Morgan added reasonably, with a conciliatory smile.

"Let's hurry," Lucina agreed, nodding, and she set off towards the highest peak where Naga's temple supposedly remained.

* * *

><p>The shrine was markedly different from the desolation around them. It alone remain unmarred by the fell dragon's shadow. A bright, overgrown meadow clearly indicated the entrance, partially covering the smooth paving stones spaced across, marking a path into the shrine. A few pillars bearing simple designs lined the walkway. The stone pillars, paving stones, and walls all seemed to be tinged with a bluish hue.<p>

When they reached the meadow, a sense of relief flooded all twelve of the companions. But the relief soon gave way to terror, as a thunderous, deathly roar chilled them to the bone. They looked up in abject terror, knowing what they would find. A ghastly, draconic six-eyed visage pierced through the clouds, gazing upon the temple below.

Grima, the fell dragon, had come.

Gerome was the first to recover. "We're out of time," he said tersely, as he indicated the passage. "Hurry, Lucina!"

The princess obediently rushed into the shrine, and most of the others followed. But Severa stopped, noticing that her sister had paused upon crossing the threshold. "Morgan, come on!" Severa urged.

"You guys go ahead," Morgan said absently, looking back. "I'll hold them off as long as I can."

"No, you won't!" Severa said angrily. "We have to hurry!"

"How long will the ritual take?" Morgan asked Brady. The priest looked uneasy.

"Naga said at least a few minutes," Brady admitted. "But we ain't leavin' people to die, remember!?"

"I'm not staying here to die," Morgan said, shaking her head and extracting a small object from her pocket. "I'm just going to slow him down as long as I can, then use this," she explained, showing them a light rune. They had salvaged it on their road south, and Laurent identified it as a magical trinket that could create an impassable, seemingly indestructible barrier of pure light. The barrier wouldn't last forever, but it could buy them valuable time.

"That could work," Lucina agreed with a nod.

"I'll stay and place the rune then," Severa insisted. "I'm a better fighter – I can hold them off longer, and in this narrow tunnel I won't need any help."

"Sis, the rune is a magical weapon. You've never really practiced with tomes," Morgan reminded.

"Then allow me," Laurent offered. "I am objectively the most experienced with the arts arcane, as you might recall."

Morgan nodded. "No arguments there… but I can use the rune well enough, and I can hold off the risen longer, in these close quarters. Now hurry!"

When both Laurent and Severa seemed about to protest further, Lucina had no choice but to interrupt. "Thank you, Morgan," Lucina said quickly. "But don't keep yourself out here too long, alright? The rune should give us almost enough time by itself."

"Don't worry, I'll stay safe," Morgan swore. Lucina tugged a reluctant Severa away, and the others hurried down the passage. Morgan watched them go, hoping she could keep her promise. A few moments later, she stepped a bit further down the tunnel and turned back to face the entrance, waiting for Grima's minions to find them.

Standing at the mouth of the hallway was a single man. A man that Morgan had never expected to see again in the flesh, with the same platinum-blond hair as Morgan's older sister, and the same dark eyes Morgan herself had inherited, wearing a cloak much like the one Morgan wore now.

* * *

><p>Lucina entered the altar room apprehensively. Having to leave Morgan behind only added to the sense of dread that followed their current predicament. But she had faith in Morgan. Even if the girl didn't believe she could truly live up to her legendary father's reputation, she was an extremely capable tactician in her own right, and had delivered them miracle after miracle. It was only through Morgan's skill and efforts that the twelve of them had survived so long.<p>

"Naga," Lucina called quietly. "We have brought the Shield of Seals, and the four stones, as you bid." She felt a little bit absurd, speaking to a statue of a woman and dragon – the human and dragon forms of the divine dragon. But a serene voice answered, and a ghostly figure matching the human statue appeared. Unlike the statue of white alabaster, Naga's soft green hair rippled elegantly as she spoke, and the thin veil bound to her arms appeared translucent, billowing around her.

"Child of the exalted bloodline… I am sorry this was all I could offer you," Naga apologized, with a sorrowful look.

"You said that hope isn't lost, that we could try to correct the situation still," Lucina began. "You spoke of a way to undo the past."

"I did," Naga said with a graceful nod. "Without the five gemstones, the Awakening is impossible. But what you have claimed is power enough for another answer, perhaps. I will send you and your companions to the past, before Grima's return. Before the death of Exalt Emmeryn, and the theft of the Fire Emblem. There, perhaps you may make the changes necessary to avert this cruel fate."

"I'm afraid I still do not quite comprehend," Laurent interrupted. "Is it truly possible to unravel time itself, and tailor the past to our preference?"

Naga shook her head slowly. "I'm afraid this world's fate is sealed. With my ritual, I will create a divergence, and a parallel world that, to a point, is exactly like yours. The eleven of you will be injected into the parallel world at that point, and the effects of your actions will ripple throughout it, creating a different future. But you must be cautious; intervene only as you feel is necessary, or you may find yourself creating an even darker fate."

"Where will we arrive?" Cynthia asked curiously. "Here in Mount Prism?"

"I can't say for sure," Naga admitted. "This ritual is not one that I have done before. The effects are not fully known to me, and I can only hope that the consequences will be bearable."

"But… what will happen to this world, then?" Lucina questioned uneasily.

Again, Naga shook her head, having no answers. "I suspect it will remain in Grima's clutches. Grima and I are not so different – we have transcended to a level of existence beyond your world and its parallel realities. If Grima were to be truly destroyed, his presence here would fall away as well, but I suspect that feat would remain out of our reach."

"What if Grima never reawakens?" Lucina urged.

"Then your new future would remain secure," Naga said. "This world, though, would remain unaffected. And I must warn you – you may never be able to return to this world. Let us begin the ritual."

"There's one more of us," Severa said quickly, before Lucina could say anything. "She's holding the entrance – Grima himself is here."

"Very well," Naga said. "The ritual should take approximately five minutes – as soon as the ritual is completed, fetch your companion and bring her to me, too. The gateway I shall conjure will remain long enough for you to return."

"I'll go help Morgan, then," Severa insisted. With that, she set off, biting her lip nervously, and hoping desperately that her younger sister remained safe.

* * *

><p>"F-Father?" Morgan stammered, recognizing the man standing before her, though it had been fifteen years since she had last seen him. She had been a toddler when he left, just barely three years old. Beside her, her Pegasus, Catria, whinnied uncomfortably. The clever creature recognized the man before them, but could also sense the darkness lying within Robin.<p>

"Not quite, I'm afraid," the man answered. He spoke in the voice of a normal man, cool and collected, but another voice echoed powerfully behind him. A darker, more forceful voice. "You may address me as Master Grima, Morgan," he said, grinning. Morgan's eyes widened in terror.

"H-How!? Why do you look just like him!?" she protested, backing away.

"I have him," Grima teased. "I've had him, ever since the world thought he disappeared. He proved quite useful. I destroyed the pesky prince with this body, and it's been a suitable vessel ever since."

Morgan continued to retreat, horrified, but she had the presence of mind to retrieve the light rune. Perhaps the rune could slow even the fell dragon himself long enough for them to complete the ritual. "Back off!" she warned, trying to sound strong. A tremor in her voice belied her bravado.

"Do you want him back?" Grima asked kindly, with a far softer smile.

Morgan froze. She knew he was lying. She wasn't about to place her trust in the fell dragon, who had apparently seized control of her father, and killed her father's friends. But Grima's words had touched a nerve – Morgan had always dreamed of seeing her father again. It was a foolish dream, for the tactician knew that her father was gone. And yet, he stood right in front of her, smiling gently. "You're lying," Morgan whispered.

Grima shook his head. "I have no reason to lie, Morgan. You and your friends have misunderstood me for so long. My hatred is directed towards Naga, not humanity. The fifth gemstone was lost. I have triumphed over Naga, and the war is over. It is now time to rebuild."

"You've never built a thing in your miserable existence!" Morgan cried defiantly, drawing her sword.

Grima's eyes lit up upon seeing the weapon. "Ah! You still carry his sword. Did you know your mother forged that weapon for him herself?"

Morgan seethed with rage. "How dare you!? You killed her too, just like you took him away from me!"

"She's not gone for good, either," Grima answered nonchalantly, and that calm remark stole away Morgan's conviction. "You misconstrue me, Morgan," Grima chided, in a patronizing tone. "Once Naga's cursed influence is eradicated, I will establish a new order. An order that has place for you, and your family. I still hold your mother's spirit. Your father's feelings for her remained in his heart and mind, Morgan. I could not simply destroy her, and had no reason to."

"But… she's dead," Morgan said weakly. "Her ashes were buried in Ylisstol… in the graveyard with the other Shepherds… beside the queen. I've… I've seen the grave…"

"A body is a trivial thing," Grima said with a shrug. "I hold her spirit, and possess the knowledge and power to give it form once more."

Morgan took a deep breath, trying to process the surprising information. Then, she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "And why should I believe you?" she asked. "Am I supposed to believe that the fell dragon himself is suddenly doing this out of the goodness of his heart?"

"In the interest of bringing an end to this pointless conflict," Grima corrected. "The conclusion of the contest between Naga and myself is long overdue. Even now, she seeks to meddle further, using an untested ritual and toying with the timeline itself in a futile attempt to deny me. Her actions could jeopardize reality itself."

Morgan looked at Grima uneasily. In truth, ever since Brady briefly explained Naga's plan to send them back in time, the tactician had wondered about the consequences. Time travel was heavily-theorized by scholars around the world, but remained shrouded in mystery still. Grima hid a smile upon seeing the girl's resolve waver.

"Heed me, Morgan," Grima pleaded. "I don't need to destroy you or your friends. I've been forced to bring about so much destruction already – restoring the world will be difficult, and I need your help. Abandon the old order. Turn away from Naga, and I can give you your father and mother. I can spare your sister and your friends. Together, we can build the very world you've fought for."

"One that worships you?" Morgan added, a bit sarcastically.

"Perhaps," Grima admitted. "I will admit to being narcissistic. But what's the difference, truly, between Naga and me? We are both dragons that have transcended your existence, and both of us are content with the devotion of our subjects and little more. Stand by me now, Morgan, and secure your place in a brighter future. Secure a place for your friends and family."

Morgan gripped the light rune tightly. "I… I don't believe you," she said weakly, as she began calling to the energy contained within the trinket.

Grima sighed. "Your parents are watching as we speak," he said gently. "Don't act rashly, Morgan. Your petty light rune will hardly slow me. Your father works for me now, remember? Do you really think to outsmart him?"

Her gambit blown, Morgan released the trinket and seemed to deflate. If there was ever a thought that could make her feel childish, and utterly insufficient, it was the idea of challenging her legendary father. The undefeatable Ylissean grandmaster. "What… what do I have to do?" she finally asked, feeling at a complete loss.

Grima smiled triumphantly. "Not much, Morgan. Naga will complete the ritual soon, and with it, create a rift through time. Invoke the light rune in front of the rift. If you can persuade Lucina to surrender the Fire Emblem, then we won't even need to come to blows. They hardly pose a threat to me – Even if they insist on fighting, I am certain I can defeat them without doing your friends any lasting harm."

Morgan cringed at the thought. "And then?" she demanded.

"And then we will go our separate ways," Grima said. "It may take me a few months to begin putting things in order, but as soon as I can, I will release your father and mother to you, and you and your friends will be safe in the meantime."

"Can… can I talk to my father?" Morgan asked.

"You're talking to him right now," Grima said, with another devious grin. Morgan gasped. In answer, Grima stepped forward and embraced the motionless girl. "Morgan, please. Listen to me. Our souls have been intermingled for so long, and it will take us some time to disentangle them. Time is a luxury we can't afford – if Naga sends your friends through time, it would be putting them and our entire existence in danger." As Grima spoke, the echo seemed to recede, and Morgan could hear the voice she yearned for, the kind voice of her beloved father.

"F-Father!?" Morgan and Grima turned, to see Severa approach. "How are you alive!?" Severa demanded suspiciously, drawing Passion.

"Severa, wait!" Morgan cried, stepping between the two.

"There's no time, Morgan," Grima urged, the dark echo returning. "Go. Stop Lucina, and I will explain the situation to your sister."

Morgan nodded obediently, and Severa's eyes widened. "Wait! What are you talking about!?" Severa demanded, moving to block her sister.

"Severa, we don't have time!" Morgan cried, as she grabbed her wind tome, ready to push her side if necessary. Behind her, Grima smiled maliciously.

* * *

><p>The fell dragon was not completely lying. He didn't have to lie, for indeed, what remained of Robin was buried deep within, enveloped in the darkness. Even there, blind and deaf to the world around him, the agony and grief could reach him. He was indeed watching, in a sense.<p>

He had tried to fight back. He had tried so hard to break Grima's hold, but he had been helpless before the might of the fell dragon. After all, his own body was a construct of Grima's darkest arts, and his soul was but a fragment of the ancient dragon's powerful spirit.

All that separated Robin from the fell dragon were his bonds with his friends and family. On that fateful day, years ago, he brought all his strength together and challenged the dragon, and was defeated. Chrom fell, slain by Grima, who wielded Robin as easily as a swordsman carried his blade, and what light remained had been squelched. Silenced, but not extinguished.

Drifting in the darkness seemed a timeless ordeal, but now, at the brink, Robin felt desperation welling up, both within him, and just beyond the darkness. With renewed vigor, he pushed forward, willing the darkness to lift, trying once more to restrain Grima's shadow, even a little. He could feel a voice pleading to him, and though he could not hear it, somehow he knew it was Severa, the four-year old girl he had abandoned in Ylisstol, who he promised he'd return to one day. He saw her now, and his younger daughter, Morgan, barely three years old, crying in confusion as he and Cordelia left the castle. He hadn't known that he would never return. He didn't know if Cordelia had ever made her way back. He had failed his daughters once, and now, they were in danger. Robin pressed on, refusing to fail them again.

Robin thrashed wildly, struggling in any way he could, trying to break the hold the darkness had on him. It seemed an act of futility, but he refused to give in, and slowly, the darkness faded slightly, leaving him drifting amidst a deep, gray fog. He fought on, but the mists of despair did not recede, and Robin felt his strength withering away.

"Robin?" a familiar voice called. The feminine, melodious voice was one Robin had never expected to hear again, though he never stopped hearing it in his thoughts. Robin spun to find that he was no longer alone.

"C-Cordelia?" Robin gasped, seeing the beautiful red-haired woman drifting through the fog with him, looking exactly as he remembered her, complete with her armor and the small wing-shaped hairclips. He looked down, realizing for the first time that his unblemished body was clothed in his own trademark robe.

Cordelia, too, gaped at him. For what seemed like an eternity, she had drifted through the same darkness, tormented by solitude. "Is… is that really you, Robin?" she asked weakly. She had seen her husband possessed, and turned against Prince Chrom, months before she herself had been killed in a daring, and apparently foolish, rescue attempt. And when she fell, her soul had been captured, imprisoned in the endless darkness.

Robin grimaced. "I... I think so. But this whole place doesn't even feel real… I don't even know where we are," he admitted. "I remember fighting the fell dragon… but I lost. And I think I've been here ever since, wherever here is." He looked around as he spoke, but the fog refused to relent.

Cordelia looked at him sadly. "Robin… we have to do something. You can feel it, can't you? Our girls need us…"

"So I didn't imagine it," Robin mused quietly. "They really are here…" Still, they were hovering here in emptiness. What could they truly hope to do? Robin sunk deep into this thoughts, his agile mind trying to establish some sense of reality, to find some understanding of their situation. "There has to be a way out of here," he insisted. "There has to be!"

"Robin… you said you fought him before, right? The fell dragon?" Cordelia asked timidly. Robin nodded absently. "Then… why don't you try it again?"

"I was no match for him," Robin said, with a painful sigh. "My body and soul were his, all along." Robin continued to stare into the darkness around them, wondering what he could possibly do. "I can't defeat him… I'm sorry, Cordelia," Robin apologized.

Cordelia frowned, unconvinced. The man she was talking to was obviously _not_ the fell dragon. "You can't give up, Robin," she urged. "It's not your fault! No human can stand up against Grima by himself, and we left you to face him alone."

"I'm not even human," Robin reminded sadly. "Maybe this disjointed piece of a soul is all I ever was, to begin with."

"So what?" Cordelia demanded, frustrated. "Robin, you've always been a far stronger person than you've given yourself credit for! Even if you're just a fragment of Grima's spirit that's gone astray, you're still here, aren't you?"

"I don't know how I got here," Robin countered. "For that matter, I don't know how you got here, either, or even where 'here' is!"

Cordelia shrugged and smiled. "I've been wondering that for some time… but it doesn't matter, does it? Because in spite of all that, you managed to come and find me, didn't you?"

"I did that?" Robin asked weakly.

Cordelia stepped forward and embraced him tightly. "What else could have made the darkness lift, even just a little bit? I believe in you, Robin," she whispered into his ear. "I'm here with you now… together, we can defeat him. We have to."

As he heard her heartfelt words, Robin felt hope welling within him. As he did, a light seemed to grow around him, wrapping around the two of them and shielding them from the darkness. Before long, he couldn't feel Cordelia's touch any longer, though he knew, somehow, that she was still there with him.

Soon, their imagined bodies fell away entirely, leaving only the warm glow of their spirits. Together, they lit into the darkness, ready to face the fell dragon anew.

* * *

><p>Hope and despair met. It was the greatest battle of the fell dragon's war, a titanic clash of wills, and a metaphysical conflict that would remain unseen forevermore.<p>

Grima was shocked to feel the light rising deep within his own spirit, to feel Robin awaken from his slumber and challenge him once more. But the fell dragon was ready for the challenge, and pushed back, his darkness threatening to drown the light once more, to allow despair to silence hope forever.

For a moment, Robin caught a glimpse of his family. He saw his Morgan, now a young woman, afflicted by a hint of Grima's darkness, doomed to a fate akin to his own. He saw Severa, eyeing Morgan nervously, confused and distraught by her sister's sudden change in allegiance. He saw Cordelia, hovering over them, pleading with him to intervene.

Robin could feel himself losing. He saw Morgan turn her magic against her older sister, throwing Severa aside, and sprinting past. He watched as Severa scrambled to her feet and thrust Cordelia's lance forward, hoping to bar Morgan's path. But Morgan was too quick, and the spear, rather than cutting through the air before her, tore through her robes and into the younger girl's heart. Morgan fell to the ground, her perplexed expression meeting her sister's horrified stare.

"No!" Robin growled defiantly. "Damn you, Grima! You can't do this!"

Grima's voice laughed, the sadistic sound tearing at Robin's heart. "You were a fool to even try, _Robin_," Grima mocked, and Robin could practically hear the fell dragon's sneer.

"No!" Robin cried out again, and he was blinded by a sudden flash of light as the sudden surge of love and desperation shattered the fell dragon's hold. This time, Robin's anguished cry found a voice, and echoed through the hallowed halls of Naga's shrine, and deep in his mind, for he had a mind once more, he could hear Grima's roar of outrage.

Only then did Robin understand that, until this moment, he had indeed just been a thought. Sentiments that lingered, struggling against the fell dragon all along. And for the first time since his victory over Validar, alongside his best friend, Robin found himself in a real, physical body. His body, which the fell dragon had so cruelly stolen. As his mind began to process the sight, he found, to his relief, Morgan and Severa standing before him, both daughters still alive.

"Severa… Morgan…" Robin said, smiling. Even after all these years, the expression came naturally to him, as it had every time he rested his gaze upon his beloved daughters. Both girls looked at him in shock, but before Robin could explain, he winced, as he felt Grima fighting him for control once more.

Robin didn't have much time, and he had to undo some of the damage Grima had wrought. He would not allow Morgan to die at the end of her own sister's spear, at the end of the spear Robin himself had given to his wife so many years ago. He tapped into Grima's power, grimacing as he realized it would bring the fell dragon's spirit closer to the surface, and would cut his time here even shorter.

Without an explanation, Robin raised his hand, and a dark wave engulfed Morgan, who cried out in surprise. As the spell connected, Morgan's thoughts surged through Robin, and he nearly faltered, touched to see the love his daughter still held for him, the father she had barely known. He dreamed of a better life, where there was no war, and where he and Morgan could study together, or play games, or even explore ancient ruins, searching for long-forgotten treasures.

"Stop!" Severa cried loudly, rushing forward, pointing her lance at Robin threateningly. But her father did not relent, seeking Morgan's thoughts, and trying to expunge Grima's influence.

Passion drove through his heart. Robin let out a gasp of pain, but he refused to yield to death's cold embrace until his work was done. Still, the blow had jarred his concentration, and he lost control of his magic. Morgan's thoughts were swept away by a sudden storm, and purged from her mind entirely. To his horror, another wave of magic then met his. Another ritual had been invoked in close proximity, Robin realized. As Grima's own propensity for magic surged through Robin, he realized that his spell had drawn in a portion of another spell altogether.

The darkness swallowed Morgan, carrying her away, as Catria neighed and followed loyally, desperate to remain by the side of Cordelia's younger daughter.

* * *

><p>"Thank you, Severa," Robin gasped, as soon as Morgan had disappeared.<p>

"W-What… what have you done!?" the anguished girl demanded.

Robin could feel death beckoning to him, and the temptation to follow was great. But he needed a moment longer. He steadied himself, trying to breathe despite the lance still lodged in his chest, trying to talk despite the searing agony. "Severa… you've grown up so strong… so beautiful… just like your mother," he stuttered. His daughter's eyes widened.

"Come on, Severa!" Lucina cried, as she sprinted down the tunnel, followed by several of her companions. "The ritual is ready!" She froze as she saw the dying man before them, and realized Morgan was nowhere in sight. Severa stood frozen, and it took all her strength keep from crumbling where she stood.

"I'm sorry, Lucina," Robin gasped. "I'm sorry, Severa. I… I tried to break… his hold on… Morgan. But… another spell… interfered…" He reached into his pocket, and withdrew a small silver gem.

"Argent," he said weakly, as he rolled the fifth and final gemstone down the hall towards Lucina. "Grima… isn't… finished. Awaken… Falchion."

"F-Father?" Severa stammered.

Robin took a deep breath, shuddering. "I love you, Severa. Thank you for setting me free."

"Father!? No!" Severa cried out, panicked, reaching out for him. But even as she did, she shrank back in terror, as Robin's eyes flashed. The tactician had done his work. Now content, Robin released his hold on Grima, and on life itself. His spirit drifted away, allowing Grima to reclaim his dying vessel.

A moment later, the lifeless body slumped to the cold stone floor.

* * *

><p>As Robin's spirit drifted away, he realized he was not alone. Another light followed him, freed from Grima's clutches. Without a body, he could hardly smile. But his spirit felt true relief, for the first time in years. Morgan was alive. Lost between worlds and time, perhaps, but alive. Severa would live on, as would the other children, the descendants of his friends. Lucina had the gemstones now, and Grima's black soul could be sealed away.<p>

Satisfied, Robin and Cordelia drifted away together, finally finding their own peace.

* * *

><p>Morgan drifted through time, lost and confused. Grima's magic had done its work well, eradicating any memories she once had. Now, she drifted through what looked like the night sky, an endless black void punctuated with silvery stars.<p>

A silvery stream flowed by, and instinctively, the girl reached for it. To her surprise, it felt tangible. She held onto it, enjoying the silky, cloth-like feeling. She closed her eyes, and felt the stream carrying her along, though she knew not where she was, nor where the stream was taking her.

Time had no meaning here, as she was drifting between time itself. But as the stream carried her on, thoughts began to spring into her mind. Morgan did not realize it, but the stream itself was Robin's shattered dreams of a better future, of getting to know his daughter who idolized him so, of showing her the love she deserved. The thoughts began to seep into her own mind, replacing some of the memories she lost. Catria caught up, and although Morgan could not remember her loyal friend, Catria had not forgotten her, and clung tightly to Morgan's robe.

* * *

><p><em>~ One Month Later ~<em>

Lucina stood idly, just outside the eastern gates of Ylisstol. The ruined city was beginning to show hints of life once more, less than a month after the fell dragon had been defeated. Her nine remaining companions were gathered around her, here in the memorial they had erected.

Most of the tombstones were just markers. All of the bodies retrieved had been cremated, in hopes that such an act would protect their remains from Grima's dark influence. Many bodies could not be retrieved at all. Lucina gently laid a bouquet of white roses upon a memorial stone, bearing the names of her parents. She smiled slightly as she saw the titles – Prince Chrom and Queen Sumia. Her father had never claimed the title of exalt. In a way, she felt guilty claiming the title herself, but her friends had rightly insisted upon it.

Beside her, her cousin Owain laid a similar bouquet on another stone, one commemorating his parents, Princess Lissa and Sir Frederick, as Lucina placed another bouquet on a third stone dedicated to Exalt Emmeryn. Around her, her friends scattered to pay their respects to their own parents, whose memories were similarly immortalized in the cemetery. As they left, Lucina looked up into a statue of her father. "The sky is lovely today. Isn't it, Father? I cannot tell you how happy I am – how lucky I am to be safe with my friends. But I feel guilty, too, knowing that you and Mother and so many others cannot share in this joy," she said wistfully, her eyes welling with tears.

As she spoke, she, Cynthia, and Owain stepped several paces down the row to another large stone, and upon seeing the names engraved upon the marker, memories of their final battle surged to the front of her mind once more.

* * *

><p><em>"You fools! You've challenged a god! Your fate is sealed!" the fell dragon roared, and Lucina could hardly find the words to argue. Approaching the fell dragon had been easier than any of them could have hoped – Naga's presence followed them forth from Mount Prism, once Falchion had been awakened, and the loss of Robin, of the fell dragon's avatar, had cost Grima dearly. They had met no resistance on their way to Origin Peak, the unholy heart of the fell dragon's power.<em>

_Still, hundreds of risen had come to their master's call, waiting atop the fell dragon's back, and even now, every one of Lucina's friends was sorely pressed, struggling against the unending hordes of undead. Severa and Lucina alone had pushed on through, their friends buying them just enough time to reach the nape of the dragon's neck._

_Only to find more risen. Lucina tried to fight past the pain in her side and arm, wicked wounds sustained in clearing out the risen. Beside her, Severa, too, had not escaped the battle unscathed, and Lucina was surprised to see her best friend still standing, despite the blood flowing steadily from her leg._

_The risen were gone now, but Grima was far from finished. The fell dragon knew his weakness, and eyed Lucina warily, daring her to try for the exposed vulnerability only a few feet away._

_"Hope will never die!" Severa cried defiantly, and ignoring her own wounds, she rushed forward, thrusting Passion directly at the fell dragon's sneering, monstrous visage. But the dragon simply reared its head back, out of reach. Severa fell back immediately, expecting the dragon to strike, but as she did, a blur of motion drew her attention. "Lucy, no!"_

_Gripped by desperation, Lucina wouldn't let the opportunity pass her by. As soon as the dragon's head lifted, its attention seemingly drawn to Severa, Lucina charged, sprinting straight forward. With incredible speed, the dragon's head whipped around to face her, and it inhaled deeply, cursed flames gathering in the wyrm's lungs._

_Lucina realized her error then, and realized that, with that one single mistake, everything they fought for had been lost. Time seemed to slow, and she saw her parents, smiling consolingly, appreciating the efforts she had made, but the imagined sympathy only clawed at her heart cruelly, mocking her failure._

_"May a true god damn you, Grima!" Severa cried, and she threw herself against Lucina, sending her best friend tumbling aside. Grima's killing breath fell over Severa a moment later._

_Lucina agilely fell into a roll, but when she turned back, she realized what must have happened. "Sev!" Lucina cried out desperately, hoping that Severa had found some way to escape the destructive wave of black energy still pouring forth continuously from Grima's wicked maw._

_But Grima's distraction was complete, this time, and their goal laid exposed, less than ten paces away. Hoping it wasn't too late, Lucina grasped Falchion and raced forward, plunging the blade into the nape of the wyrm's neck. A barrier of pure darkness emerged, but sapphire flames flowed along the blade, biting into the shadow, and Falchion sunk deep into the fell dragon._

_The torrent of aphotic flames ended, and Grima's head flailed back, howling in denial, as he felt his power receding to a distant plane. "THIS ISN'T THE END!" Grima roared, but his voice grew feeble as the strength left him._

_Lucina spun, dreading what she'd find behind her. Severa laid on the ground, perfectly still, seeming unmarred by the black flames. But the black magic had done it's work nonetheless, and the girl's spirit had long since been torn from her body. "No! Not you, Severa! Open your eyes! OPEN YOUR EYES!" Lucina cried, rushing to her loyal friend's side._

_Severa did not move, did not respond. Her contented smile, as the tortured woman finally found peace, offered no comfort to Lucina._

* * *

><p>"Especially you, Sev," Lucina whispered, her tears now falling freely.<p>

Lucina gently laid the last bouquet she had brought upon the tomb, a colorful bouquet that she knew would have elicited a laugh from her late friend. Though only the ashes of three had been buried below, the large marble headstone commemorated a family of four.

Robin and Cordelia, who, together, had defied Grima to the last, returning the lost gemstone that the fell dragon, in his paranoia, had so foolishly retrieved from the depths of the sea.

Severa, who had nobly shielded Lucina with her own body, succumbing to the wrath of the fell dragon.

And Morgan, who worked tirelessly for years to keep her friends safe, putting herself in danger without hesitation, always wondering if her father could see her, and whether he'd be proud. The girl had not been seen since her encounter with Grima.

Beside her, Cynthia and Owain wept openly as well. Despite their frequent bickering, Lucina knew that Severa and Owain secretly cared deeply for one another.

"I wish you could bring you all back," Lucina admitted. "I wish I could summon you all to my side once more, so that you could all see the beautiful world we fought for. The world you gave your lives for."

But tombstones and statues could not speak, and the only sounds that answered the exalt's quiet wish were the sobs of her sister and cousin, and their warm tears splashing lightly on the grass and stone.

* * *

><p>"The sky <em>is<em> lovely, Lucina," Chrom said quietly, standing behind them, unseen.

"Just the sort of sky we fought to see again," Sumia added contently, holding Chrom's hand. The spirits had no physical form left, of course, but to each other, and to their friends, they appeared in the prime of their life, and happier now than they had ever been.

Chrom smiled. "Even if you can no longer hear our voices, beloved daughters, we're already at your side. We always will be. And we're not alone. All of our friends are here, too, only a whisper away, watching over you."

"Not that you need watching over," Severa added with a grin, glancing at her parents, who, similar to Chrom and Sumia, were holding hands.

"I guess not," Robin agreed, matching Severa's smile and squeezing Cordelia's hand softly. "But still, we'll be here, watching over them anyways, until the day we meet again."

"Always," Cordelia said softly. As she spoke, she reached out with her other hand and ruffled Morgan's hair. The younger girl laughed gently at her mother's touch, happy to be reunited with her parents at long last.

When Robin and Cordelia arrived, they were flooded with memories that didn't seem to belong to them. It appeared that, despite the river of time being distorted, their souls remained intact and encompassed of their existences. Both were heartbroken to learn that, in one existence, they could not overcome Grima, after all, and that in their moment of failure, both of their spirits had been driven away, and Morgan had been slain, impaled up her sister's lance.

But Morgan was waiting for them, and faulted neither her parents nor her sister. The optimistic girl quickly found peace in her own fate, and was merely relieved that her sister had stopped her, before invoking the light rune in her place, stalling Grima and allowing Lucina and her companions to escape that reality.

Robin found it quite strange that he and Cordelia had the memories of two lives, diverging only slightly. It didn't bother him much, though, and he took solace in the fact the surviving Severa and Morgan had found their way to the same existence. A third existence, in which he and his wife both still lived.

All in all, it was better than any of them could have hoped for. They had finally found peace _and_ a future.

* * *

><p>"W-Where am I?" Morgan asked aloud, as she came to her senses. "How'd I end up here?" She looked around, quizzically. She was in the ruins of some sort of ancient temple. A soft nudge alerted her to her Pegasus, standing loyally by her side. "Oh. Hi!" she said, rather cheerfully. Her expression became thoughtful once more. "Hmm… do I know you?" she asked, looking at the Pegasus. Naturally, the animal didn't answer.<p>

"Okay," Morgan said, turning away. "Let's see… I remember searching for some sort of ancient treasure with Father. I guess we must have gotten separated somehow. Now, what did that treasure look like?" she wondered, as she set off.

A growling, guttural noise caught her attention, and she noiselessly ducked behind a nearby pillar, hoping the Pegasus, who had followed her loyally, would remain out of sight. She cautiously peeked around the stone obstacle, and saw a monstrous creature resembling a corpse with glowing crimson eyes stalking past, carrying an axe.

Far from being deterred, Morgan's eyes lit up at the sight of the risen. "Adventure," she whispered to her Pegasus excitedly, before setting off, careful to elude the strange undead creatures. She wandered down the temple carefully, until she spotted a small golden jewel, shaped like a tear, resting upon a pedestal.

"Hah! Morgan finds it first!" she cheered, the need for stealth forgotten as she rushed to claim it.

As she turned back to her Pegasus, bearing the jewel, she heard an angry growl. One of the zombies had caught up, and was far too close for comfort.

"Ah!" Morgan cried out, stumbling away and nearly dropping the jewel. As she caught the artifact, she noticed the sword on her belt. Even though she couldn't remember much about using it off the top of her head, somehow it felt natural seeing the weapon there. The risen approached clumsily, and Morgan nervously drew her weapon, noting the inscription of the word "Eternity" on the guard, and the beautiful ruby set in its pommel. "Nice weapon," she remarked, awed. "Is it really mine?"

The risen answered by rushing forward, axe chopping downward. Morgan reacted instinctively, deflecting the blow cleanly before thrusting her blade through the monster's chest. Alarmed at how close the creature was, she retracted Eternity hastily, before stabbing it through the zombie's head, too. Just for good measure, she struck once more, even as the risen was crumbling to ash. "Well, that went okay, I guess," Morgan said, shaken.

Her eyes widened as she spotted eight more of the risen making their way over to her. "Time to go," she decided, rushing to her Pegasus's side and climbing aboard. "Come on, girl, let's get out of here," she insisted, and Catria, though slightly annoyed that the girl had apparently forgotten her, obediently stretched her wings and lifted off, out of reach of the risen.

"Let's go find Father," Morgan said with an excited grin. "I can't wait to see what he says when he finds out we beat him to the artifact!"

* * *

><p><strong><em>Disclaimer: The characters, the setting, and any cover images used belong to Intelligent Systems. I do not own Fire Emblem, or any part of IS.<em>**

**This is my interpretation of Morgan's origin story. It bothered me that the game took the cheap way out by leaving Morgan's origins vague and unexplained, although with the possibly of a third-generation Morgan, I suppose the designers didn't have much choice unless they wanted to have multiple possible explanations. I was determined to add some sort of background for my Morgan (the surviving one), but couldn't find a fitting place for it in any of the three stories.**

**I know the story doesn't really agree with the game's canon, as it's written to accompany my own interpretation of Fire Emblem: Awakening. I've drawn upon some of the dialogue and events from the "Future of Despair" DLC-pack for both this alternate ending and the ending I used in Road of the Recusant. In a way, this short story is an homage to "Future of Despair."**

**I also now realize I've been unintentionally and excessively cruel toward Severa. I didn't mean to be, honest! I actually really like Severa as a character, though like many of the characters of Fire Emblem: Awakening, her traits are a bit over exaggerated. I decided on having her being the one to kill Morgan rather early in planning my story, in hopes that it would add some depth to her interactions with a living Morgan. Severa killing Robin in the alternate reality was a spontaneous decision; it just seemed to fit. After that, it seemed too mean to leave her as the sole surviving member of her family in this reality, wondering forevermore what became of her sister.**

**"****A Future of Despair" had a fairly well-written ending, although I felt the survivors were a little too optimistic about it all. I hope I've managed to do it justice with this piece, even while altering the tone slightly.**


	5. Paralogue 4: Radiant Legacy

**Paralogue 4: Radiant Legacy**

"Lucy!"

The wooden door of the Shepherd's garrison crashed open, revealing Princess Cynthia, captain of Ylisse's royal Pegasus knights. Cynthia rushed in, her raven-blue pigtails flying wildly around her for a brief moment, as she searched for her older sister. But when she had roughly pushed the door open, she unintentionally dislodged a large metal pail full of water hanging above the doorway. The trap had been sprung, and water sloshed down, thoroughly soaking the unfortunate princess.

"Hey!" Cynthia protested. "What's the big idea!?"

"Sorry!" Morgan, the Shepherd's tactician, hastily apologized, as several of the Shepherds burst into laughter. "It was meant for my dad!"

"It's freezing outside!" Cynthia whined. "It's way too cold to be playing with water!"

"I told you it was a bad idea," Lucina chided her tactician, smiling despite her attempts to appear stern. Morgan's childish antics were quite amusing, after all, once all potentially dangerous objects had been banned from the premises. Lucina grabbed a large cloth rag and passed it to her fuming younger sister. "Did you need something, Cynthia?"

"Lucy, one of our Pegasus knights resigned!" Cynthia said loudly, in a panicked tone, as she quickly dried her hair.

"Well, that's unfortunate," Lucina said, not seeing the cause for alarm. "But it's not too unusual, is it?"

"Who resigned?" Severa asked curiously, from where she was sitting with her younger sister.

"Umm… I forget her name," Cynthia said sheepishly, and Severa groaned. "And I guess it's not _that_ unusual. But still, it's a huge problem! Her resignation letter said she was going to go become a mercenary!"

Lucina blinked. That _was_ odd. Mercenaries often had a hard time finding work, these days. In fact, one of the ex-Shepherds, an incredibly gifted swordsman and former mercenary named Gregor, complained often and loudly about the lack of business. Ever since their victory over Grima, the risen had disappeared entirely, and the relationship between the three kingdoms of their continent became stronger than ever. In fact, mercenaries _became_ a problem, more often than not, as some of the morally-loose sell swords turned to crime to make the ends meet. "Well… unless she ends up joining a gang of bandits, it's not a big deal, is it?" Lucina asked hesitantly.

"How could you possibly have forgotten her name!?" Severa said, exasperated. "There's only eight of us in total!"

"Huh? Aren't there nine of us?" Cynthia asked, confused, and Severa groaned again. "Never mind that," Cynthia went on hurriedly. "The problem is, the mercenaries call themselves the 'Greil Mercenaries'."

"That name sounds familiar," Lucina said, as Morgan's eyes went wide.

"They're naming themselves after the Radiant Hero's mercenary company?" Morgan asked, surprised. At the mention of the Radiant Hero, the others present recognized the name, too. The legend of the Radiant Hero, Ike, was fairly well-known. Ike's father, Greil, had led a skilled band of mercenaries in the distant land of Tellius. Upon Greil's death, Ike assumed his father's mantle, and the Greil Mercenaries soon found themselves at the center of a titanic struggle against their people's goddess, Ashera.

"No champions so bold as to style themselves after the Radiant Hero's company of legends could possibly resort to petty crime!" Owain put in, the brown-haired youth attempting to strike a dramatic pose.

"Sit down, you jester," Severa muttered. "Owain's right, though. If these mercenaries are using such a grandiose name, they probably won't be able to get away with banditry."

"Well, I happen to know of at least one gang of bandits that impersonated _our exalt_," Cynthia reminded.

"And you were the only one dumb enough to fall for it!" Severa shot back. Cynthia blushed. It wasn't quite true – when a bandit disguised himself as Prince Chrom, quite a few mercenaries had accepted his farfetched story and poorly tailored appearance. But in hindsight, it was quite embarrassing that Cynthia herself had mistook the imposter for her father.

"That's enough, Sev," Lucina said, though again, she was trying to suppress a smile of her own. Her younger sister was undeniably airheaded at times. "Cynthia, we'll keep an ear out for any trouble. But I really don't think we're going to find their leader trying to call himself Ike. According to the stories, Ike lived hundreds of years ago."

"Not Ike, but his descendant," Cynthia said quickly. "Their leader claims to be descended from the Radiant Hero himself."

"So, someone has delusions of grandeur. Not unlike someone else we know," Severa said with a shrug, glancing at Owain, who pointedly ignored her. "What's the big deal?"

"Well, we have to check to see if he's real, don't we? We can't let him just keep lying to people!" Cynthia protested.

"Yeah!" Morgan said, unexpectedly offering her support. "Let no evil go unpunished, or something like that!" Morgan cheered happily.

Her older sister shot her a strange look. "What's gotten into you, Morgan?" Severa asked.

"Come on, Sev, you know Morgan. If there's history and old legends involved, she's happy," Lucina reminded, grinning.

Morgan smiled sheepishly. "Maybe," she admitted.

"Then it's settled!" Cynthia proclaimed.

"No, it isn't," Lucina said firmly. "Cynthia, we have our duties to attend to. Autumn is nearly at its end, which means a lot of the farmers will be making their last trip of the year to Ylisstol soon."

"Aw, come on, Lucina," Morgan pleaded.

"Morgan, weren't _you_ the one who suggested that a show of force could keep the bandits from harrying the merchants this year?" Lucina said.

"Well… maybe?" Morgan said meekly.

"You don't need _all_ the Shepherds for that, Lucy," Cynthia begged.

"As a matter of fact, I was going to ask you and the rest of the Pegasus knights to help," Lucina admitted. "The highwaymen aren't just going to wait on the road for us. It would help to have a few Pegasus knights in the sky, searching the surrounding forests and mountains."

"Umm… no thanks," Severa said, a distasteful look on her face. Though Cynthia had cajoled her into joining the Pegasus knights as her second-in-command, Severa wasn't too enthralled with scouting or patrols. Suddenly, her mood brightened. "Hey, Lucy. You don't need _all_ the Pegasus knights, do you? And since Cynthia can't go, since she's the captain and all, why don't Morgan and I go take a look?"

"Hey, no fair!" Cynthia protested immediately. "It was my idea!"

"Don't you trust me?" Severa asked, feigning an expression of hurt. "I'm your second, remember? We're just going to do a little scouting of our own, right? To make sure nothing's seriously wrong."

"But I wanted to go, too!" Cynthia whined. As she spoke, the door swung open.

"Now, that doesn't sound particularly responsible or authoritative," Robin said, stepping into the room. He immediately noticed the fallen metal pail and puddle. He looked up and saw that Cynthia's hair was still damp, and laughed. "Nice try, kiddo," he said, smiling at Morgan.

"It's your fault!" Morgan accused. "You said you'd meet me here at noon and it's been nearly half an hour since!"

"That's because _someone_ taught little Morgan how to play a game she calls 'tome stackers'," Robin said, staring hard at Morgan, who blushed. "Incidentally, your book wound up in the stack. At least she's only tall enough to stack about ten tomes together," Robin continued, as he passed over the tome that Morgan had asked to borrow.

"What's in the basket, dad?" Severa asked, noting the woven picnic basket Robin held in his other hand.

"Lunch," Robin answered, as he set the basket down on the table.

"Umm… did you make it yourself?" Lucina asked nervously.

"Nah. Your Aunt Cordelia still won't let me back into the kitchen," Robin said with another laugh, as he removed the cloth cover, and the scent of aromatic herbs and freshly baked bread wafted into the air.

"Mmm! That smells delicious!" Stahl announced, stepping into the garrison, still clad in his forest green armor. "Robin! How've you been?"

"Yo!" Vaike added, as he followed Stahl into the room.

"Good. Busy, as always," Robin said, smiling at the sight of his old friends. "How've you guys been?"

He picked a rather poor time for that question, for even as he spoke, Lucina stepped up and wordlessly confiscated Vaike's axe, placing it on the weapon's rack near the doorway. Vaike looked at the girl in exasperation. "Come on, Lucina!"

"We're _not_ leaving our weapons laying around again," Lucina said firmly.

"I still think I should've been made captain," Vaike grumbled. "Things would be an awful lot more fun around here!"

"And that's exactly why you _aren't_ captain," Robin said, winking at Lucina. "Cordelia says hi, by the way," he added, as Stahl helped himself to a large slice of bread. Stahl mumbled something undecipherable through a huge mouthful, though his wave and nod made his gratitude quite clear.

"When's she gonna stop by?" Vaike demanded. "I'm tired of everyone using a sword when we spar!"

Robin rolled his eyes. "Vaike, her arm's still in a sling!" Cordelia had consented to help Cynthia train her new Pegasus knights. As it turned out, it was a more dangerous endeavor than Robin had imagined, plagued with minor accidents. Cordelia had broken her arm in saving a new recruit who had fallen from her steed about a month ago, and was becoming rather restless. Robin made a mental note not to pass Vaike's challenge along to her. Cordelia would almost certainly accept the challenge in a heartbeat, and Vaike would not take losing to a woman with a broken arm particularly well.

"And besides, I use a lance when we spar," Severa pointed out. "You still wind up losing every time."

"Do not!" Vaike protested. "I beat you last week, remember?"

"When?" Severa demanded.

"In our cooking contest!" Vaike boasted.

Severa sighed. "First of all, that's not sparring. Second of all, your cooking is even worse than my dad's! I'm pretty sure _I_ won that contest."

"Ooh! That chocolate pudding you made was amazing!" Morgan reminisced happily, as she, too, started munching on a slice of fresh bread.

"It _was_ really good," Lucina conceded.

"I still wish you guys saved some for me," Stahl grumbled.

"Hey, _you_ volunteered to be the first judge. No one knew you'd spend two nights in the healer's lodge after trying Vaike's fish," Severa pointed out.

"Chicken!" Vaike corrected.

"Umm… chickens don't have scales, Vaike," Morgan said.

"Sure they do. And my cooking managed to lay even old Stahl low. So that's one round for Vaike, yeah?" Vaike boasted.

"Are you still leaving for Asteria next week?" Robin asked, politely changing the subject, as his own stomach began to feel queasy from the mere thought of Vaike's cooking.

"Oh right! Dad! Cynthia says there's a bunch of mercenaries running around calling themselves the 'Greil Mercenaries'!" Morgan said excitedly. "Their leader is supposed to be a descendant of the Radiant Hero!"

"Interesting," Robin said. "I suppose it's not all that unlikely. The Radiant Hero lived so long ago that he could easily dozens of living descendants. One of them could easily have cross the seas at some point. The stories had to make it to Ylisse somehow, after all."

"Don't you think it's worth looking into?" Morgan asked.

"Perhaps," Robin said noncommittally. "It could just as easily be an imposter, using a famous name to find help and create trouble. Even then, it may be wise to look into it."

"See? Even Uncle Robin agrees!" Cynthia said to her sister. "Come on, Lucy!"

Lucina sighed. "I'm not disagreeing, Cynthia. But we do need the Pegasus knights for our mission, too. And if you want to be the captain, you should be there leading them."

"So it falls to me and Morgan then," Severa said with a grin.

"Exactly!" Morgan agreed instantly. "As dad would say, checkmate!"

"Hold on a moment. You two want to go _alone_?" Robin said, aghast.

"Well, why not?" Severa replied. "We can get there faster with Catria, anyways. And I'm sure Morgan and I can beat up some silly bandits if they're asking for it. Say, where are these mercenaries, anyhow?"

"South-eastern Ylisse," Cynthia said glumly, realizing that there was no way her sister was going to let her tag along. Like Severa, she wasn't too interested in scouting out the road for the Shepherds. But then again, she _had_ asked for the title, which didn't leave her much choice.

"You don't know anything about these alleged mercenaries, Severa," Robin said, shaking his head.

"We're not trying to pick a fight," Morgan pointed out.

"That doesn't mean it's safe," Robin argued. "How many times have we been over this in our studies, Morgan? You must always have a backup plan."

"And how many backup plans did you have during your wars?" Lucina said teasingly.

Robin grinned sheepishly. "Too many, and the only one I used almost went terribly, terribly wrong." He turned back to his daughters. "More to the point, your mother would kill me if I let you two head off all alone."

"Well, Lucina can't really spare any more of the Pegasus knights," Severa said.

"So, find a Pegasus that doesn't belong to one of the knights," Robin replied, smiling.

Morgan caught on immediately. "Do you think Mom will let us borrow Catria? Hers?"

"If it was between that and sending you two off alone, definitely," Robin said. "Besides, Catria is getting restless again. Sumia has been flying her twice a week, but it's certainly not enough to keep her happy."

"So we can carry two passengers, then. What do you say, Lucina? Can you spare a couple Shepherds, at least?" Severa asked.

"One," Robin corrected. "It's been a while since I've woven a spell myself, but I think I can manage. And you might want to wait until we ask your mother, just in case she decides she wants come go along, too."

All of them, even Vaike, Stahl, and Owain, who had long since lost interest in the conversation and started a game of cards, looked at Robin in shock. "You want to go with them?" Lucina asked, her eyes widening.

Robin nodded. "Cordelia's been asking me to tag along on one of your expeditions, anyways. After all of the horror stories these two love telling her, she's seriously worried about you all," he said, gesturing towards Severa and Morgan.

"Most of those incidents took place here in Ylisstol," Morgan said, though she looked slightly embarrassed.

Robin only laughed. "Don't worry, Morgan. Your mother is just worried about you two. When I was running the Shepherds, we had our own share of problems, too." He turned to Lucina. "Does that work for you, Lucina? Severa, Morgan, and I will go check it out these mercenaries for you."

"That's fine," Lucina said agreeably.

"Promise me you'll tell me all about it when you get back!" Cynthia insisted.

"Of course!" Morgan agreed happily.

* * *

><p>"We're home!" Robin called, as he entered his cozy home, just a couple blocks away from Castle Ylisse. Severa and Morgan followed him in, Morgan gently closing the door behind her. A pattering of footsteps sounded on the hardwood floors, as Robin's other two daughters came running out to greet their father and sisters.<p>

"Dad!" the younger Morgan cried excitedly, the two-and-a-half year old toddler throwing her arms around Robin's legs.

The younger Severa raced past her little sister, holding up a piece of parchment for her older sisters to see. "Look!" she proclaimed proudly.

Severa smiled when she saw the picture her younger self had drawn. "Is this our house?" she asked.

"Yep!" the budding artist answered happily. "But we have no flowers," she said, in a slightly sorrowful tone. "So I had to draw my own," she added, pointing at some swirls alongside the doorsteps.

"I think you forgot a window," Morgan observed, pointing at a set of wooden shutters that was missing from the painting.

"Oops," the little girl answered, looking at the painting and wondering how she could fix it.

"Hello, girls," Cordelia said, stepping into the hallway as well. "Dinner's ready on the table," she added, stepping forward to kiss her husband as he lifted the younger Morgan.

"How's your arm?" Robin asked, carefully embracing her.

"My arm's fine," Cordelia insisted. "I could probably take the sling off tomorrow, even."

"The healer said six weeks," Robin reminded sternly. "You know, it could probably heal faster if you let it rest. You didn't have to cook; we could've just joined the Shepherds for their evening campfire cookouts."

"And sit here doing nothing all day? Besides, it's cold outside, and I'm not sure a campfire gathering is any safer." Cordelia protested. "I'm fine, Robin," she repeated. "And I've been using my other arm when I cook."

Robin relented with a sigh, knowing full well that he wasn't going to win this particular argument. After Cordelia exchanged hugs with her daughters, the family gathered at the dinner table, in front of the warm fireplace.

"Cordelia, would you mind if we borrowed Catria for a few days?" Robin asked, as they began eating.

"That's fine. Catria's been getting restless. Why?" Cordelia asked curiously.

"There's some strange mercenary activity going on, according to Cynthia," Robin said. "Severa and Morgan were planning to go investigate alone, but I think it would be better if I went with them, this time. The rest of the Shepherds and Pegasus knights are going to have their hands full keeping the roads clear."

Cordelia frowned. "How long will you be gone?" she asked.

"Probably only a few days. According to the maps it's a little less than two days out by Pegasus, so we'll be gone for a week at most," Morgan answered.

"Alright then," Cordelia agreed. "I'm coming, too."

Robin grimaced, having expected her reaction. "Cordelia, your arm's still in a sling," Robin reminded pointedly. "And if we both go, who'll look after the girls?"

"My arm's fine," Cordelia said again, stubbornly. "And Severa's been asking to sleep over with Lucina and Cynthia for a while now. Haven't you, Sev?" she asked, turning at glancing at the younger Severa, who nodded eagerly.

"Can we please?" Severa pleaded. "Morgan and I will be good! I promise!"

Robin wavered indecisively. "Maybe I should stay behind and look after them," he suggested, but he winced when both of his younger daughters looked crestfallen. "Okay, never mind. But are you sure you want to stay with Uncle Chrom and Aunt Sumia for a week?" he asked, still feeling slightly uncomfortable with the prospect.

"Yes!" the two girls cheered together.

"I think it's about time for you to step out of the city again, anyways, Robin," Cordelia teased. Although Robin had initially settled into their new home and the new library he now ran pretty comfortably, she could tell he was getting restless, too.

"What about our trip to the Feroxi Springs last year?" Robin reminded.

"Oh, the springs were wonderful!" the older Severa said nostalgically. "I still have the yukata I bought from there. Not much use for it around here, though."

"I don't know, I think I prefer ordinary robes," Morgan said. "What do you think, Morgan?" she asked, looking at her younger self. The little girl looked back at her blankly, her mouth now stuffed pull of peas.

Severa rolled her eyes. "Come on, Morgan. Even Dad has a few new outfits now. You should really try something new, yourself."

"These robes _are_ pretty comfortable though," Robin said, tugging at his sleeve. Though he had consented to add a few new outfits to his wardrobe, he was wearing his trademark hooded cloak at the moment. Morgan wore a similar robe, and unlike Robin, still insisted upon wearing it all the time. Severa had even gone as far as to purchase a few other outfits for her younger adult sister, but the new dresses and blouses simply found themselves collecting dust in Morgan's clothing chest at the foot of her bed.

"Da-ad!" Severa complained. "You're not helping!"

"So it's settled, then?" Cordelia interrupted. "When are we leaving?"

"We were hoping to set out tomorrow morning," Morgan said.

"Indeed. Though if we want to leave the girls with Chrom, I should probably drop by the castle and make sure it's okay with him and Sumia first," Robin said.

"I'm sure they won't mind," Cordelia assured.

* * *

><p>Reluctantly, Cordelia agreed to continue wearing her sling the next day when they set off. Still, the experienced rider had no problem flying her Pegasus. She quickly conceded that aerial acrobatics were out of the question, but her husband preferred the smoother flights, anyways. Though her left bracer, gauntlet, and pauldron had been removed to accommodate her sling, she wore the rest of her armor, and a thick woolen cloak to ward off the autumn's chill.<p>

Robin, too, had exchanged his normal cloak for a thicker garment. He was now wearing a long, navy blue, silver-trimmed leather coat, padded on the inside with soft silks imported from Chon'sin. Initially, he had agreed to visit the merchant only to placate Severa, but he and Morgan both quite liked this particular coat. Unfortunately, the merchant only had two, and neither were in Morgan's size.

A short distance away, Severa was clad in her fine leather armor and fashionable battle skirt and leggings, although she, too, opted for some warmer clothing, and wore a thick, dark red woolen cape, imported from Ferox. Morgan, riding behind her older sister, wore her normal hooded cloak, with only a blanket draped over it, to Severa's annoyance.

The saddlebags on both Pegasi were packed to the brim. In the morning, they had stopped by the library, and Robin quickly chose a few dozen texts pertaining to the legend of the Radiant Hero. Severa had made a few snarky comments about her father bringing his library with him wherever he went, but Cordelia and Morgan agreed that some research was warranted. Of course, Morgan almost never turned down the opportunity for some reading, and if it wasn't for already almost dropping her book _and_ her blanket once while trying to read during the ride, Morgan would almost certainly be reading now. Instead, Morgan simply contented herself watched the crimson and orange autumn leaves on the trees and grassy meadows below pass them by, as they soared over the peaceful countryside.

"You seem a bit tense, Robin," Cordelia noted. "Are you alright? You're not still worried about my arm, are you?"

"Just a little, but I know better than to argue," Robin said, smiling unseen, as Cordelia had not turned around. "Am I holding on too tight?"

"No, it's fine," Cordelia reassured. "But you seem nervous."

Robin shrugged. "I know Chrom and Sumia said it would be fine, but I'm still a bit worried about leaving Severa and Morgan with them for a week."

"You saw how happy the girls were," Cordelia reminded. When they dropped by the castle in the morning, a younger Lucina, and her little sister, a younger Cynthia who had only just turned two, had greeted them excitedly. According to Sumia, their daughters had been up hours before dawn, both of them eagerly awaiting their friends' arrivals.

"It's not them I'm worried about," Robin said, in a tone of amusement. "Little Morgan, especially, can be quite a handful at times. At least there aren't too many books left in the castle."

Cordelia giggled. "She looks up to her older self as much as Morgan looks up to you," she said. "It's so cute."

"Well, if she, too, has a gift for magic, I'll be glad all of my old spell tomes have been locked away," Robin said with a grimace, as he stroked the binding on one of the tomes strapped to his belt. When he was in the library, he had also picked up three of his own tomes. His personal magical arsenal had been locked away in a large trunk concealed behind one of the bookshelves. His sword, Eternity, had been left in its sheath, hanging over their fireplace. It now hung on his weapon belt, and though he hadn't carried the weapon in nearly a year, the weight was comfortably familiar to the veteran swordsman.

* * *

><p>They continued flying through the afternoon, and started searching for a suitable campsite when the sun began to set. Eventually, they came to a peaceful meadow situated beside a small, babbling brook, where they pitched their tents. Before long, Morgan plopped down beneath a nearby tree, clutching a book. Severa dragged Morgan away a moment later, heading to a secluded copse of trees a bit further down the river, insisting that after a long day of riding, a bath was necessary.<p>

After lighting a campfire, Robin retreated under the shade of the same tree, and, after sweeping away some of the fallen leaves, assumed a relax posture of his own as started reading his own tome. After half an hour, his daughters returned, and he joined his family by the campfire where Cordelia had quickly made a stew of salted pork, dried vegetables, and small chunks of crusty bread, softened by the broth. As they ate, Robin pulled forth a map, trying to measure their progress.

"I'm pretty sure the village we passed earlier was New Leaf," Robin guessed, pointing at a small mark on the map. "We passed the Gold Mountains just before that, right? That means the mountains there are the Crescent Peaks," he said, gesturing towards a rocky mountain range to the southeast.

"Hmm… that seems right," Morgan agreed, scooting closer for a look at the map. "I guess we're right on schedule then. We should arrive tomorrow, early in the evening then," she estimated, pointing out their destination. According to Cynthia, the mercenaries had situated themselves in a small village called Azure Pyre, less than fifty miles inland. It was a rather obscure village that had been isolated for so long that many maps didn't even show recognize it.

"Then we'd better start reading," Robin said, indicating a small stack of books that he had unpacked.

"Nope," Cordelia said immediately. "You're overdue for a bath, too, dear. And you're _not_ staying up all night reading. Same goes for you, Morgan." Robin grinned as he understood why Cordelia had insisted upon accompany them, as Morgan pouted. "That's not going to work on me, sweetheart," Cordelia said to her daughter, smiling.

Robin laughed. "Alright, you win," he relented. "Don't worry, Morgan, we'll still have at least a couple hours to study," he said, as he obediently followed Cordelia away from the campsite.

* * *

><p>When they left, Robin had been slightly concerned that finding the tiny village would prove troublesome. But the following evening, he quickly realized that his fears were for naught, as they passed several large tracts of farmland spanning the countryside. The farms weren't as impressive as they were in many of Ylisse's agricultural provinces, and the roads were little more than beaten dirt paths, but the settlement was certainly bigger than the map had indicated.<p>

"I guess it makes sense," Robin admitted, once the surprised had worn off. "They're so far away from the nearest village that I suppose they do have to be fully self-sufficient. But judging by the amount of farmland they have, they could easily sustain several hundred people," he said. "Maybe even a thousand."

"It's kind of odd that no one's ever paid them much attention before," Cordelia said. "How long do you think Azure Pyre has been here?" she wondered.

Robin frowned. "I went through a lot of the older maps. Not all of them show the village, but there's one that does that has to be at least two hundred years old."

"How do you know how old the map is?" Cordelia asked.

"Because it shows one village that was supposedly destroyed in a wildfire two hundred years ago," Robin explained. "And the province of Asteria is still divided in two. According to Miriel, those two provinces joined together seven generations ago."

"Interesting," Cordelia said absently. "And yet, we're only hearing about this village now, and only because there's someone supposedly calling himself a descendant of the Radiant Hero."

"Yes. Priam is his name, so say the rumors," Robin mused, remembering the rest of Cynthia's story. "I wonder if they started the rumors themselves, just to get some attention at last."

"But they had to know they wouldn't be able to keep up that story for too long," Cordelia said.

"It's not as difficult as you'd think," Robin corrected. "Lineage to a mythical hero isn't easy to trace. If the imposter shared a few physical traits with Ike, all the better. But, look at Owain for example. He's Chrom's nephew, but the resemblance between them is quite minor."

"True," Cordelia agreed. "Come to think of it, I'm not entirely sure how we'd be able tell if this Priam is an imposter, anyways. I've only seen one painting of Ike, and there's nothing particularly unique about his appearance. I suppose you could look for blue hair, but then, Lucina could easily call herself a descendant of the Radiant Hero, too, then."

Robin shrugged. "Honestly, we're just here to humor Morgan and Cynthia," he admitted. "Supposedly, Ike's hair was a shade lighter than the royals of the Hero-King's bloodline, but you're right. There's really no way we can be sure either way."

"Someone's coming," Cordelia interrupted suddenly. She released her hold on the reins with her good hand, and gestured ahead of them, to where a Pegasus was approaching them. "Severa!"

"I see her," Severa called back, and behind her, Morgan lifted a wind tome, just in case their reception proved hostile. "It's Lena!" Severa called out a moment later, recognizing the other rider as one of their more recent recruited, evidently the one that had tendered her resignation a few days ago, and sparked this entire debacle.

"Severa? Is that you?" Lena called out. The former Pegasus knight had returned her riding armor upon her resignation, but evidently kept the saddle, which was still decorated with the Ylissean royal banner. "Lady Cordelia?" she added, surprised, when she recognized the other rider as her former mentor.

Cordelia, too, recognized Lena immediately. She had been one of the more promising recruits. She was rather young, not even into her twenties, and had little experience in the way of weapons, but the bond she shared with her Pegasus was stronger than any of the other recruits aside from Cynthia and Severa, who had both already fought alongside their mounts for some time. Lena had evidently found herself a new riding helm, fashioned similarly to the normal Ylissean open-faced riding helmets, leaving her long, dark hair quite visible. "Hello, Lena," Cordelia greeted kindly, as Robin loosened his grip on his own tome. Still, he made no move to stash the potent weapon, and remained wary.

"What brings you all the way out here?" Lena asked curiously, taking no notice of the legendary tactician or his precautions.

"You do," Severa said. "Cynthia was worried when you resigned without a word to the rest of us, and asked us to check on you, and make sure you were okay. Did you really join a mercenary band?"

"Is it true that they're led by a descendant of the Radiant Hero?" Morgan added eagerly, her eyes alit with childish wonderment.

"Well, they're not _really_ mercenaries," Lena explained. "My brother disappeared when the risen marched on Ylisstol, remember?" Severa and Cordelia nodded, both remembering the sad story. "It turns out he was rescued by a few of these warriors, who were disguised as merchants at the time. They travel to Ylisstol once in a while, to trade for some goods they can't make themselves. He's… well, he's all I have left, so when he asked me to move here to join him, I said I would."

"It looks more like an ordinary farming village," Severa noted.

"It is, pretty much," Lena agreed. "They've kept to themselves for the longest time, but they rescued several people in Ylisstol during the invasion, and I guess word got out about it."

"So what about Priam?" Morgan urged.

Lena shrugged. "Well, there's a really strong swordsman in the village, who claims to be Ike's descendant. But he doesn't talk about it much. Some of the settlers come here just to spar with him, and end up staying, so there's a lot of former knights and mercenaries here. Priam says it wasn't his idea to call them the 'Greil Mercenaries' though. Some of them came up with the name on their own as a joke, and I guess word got out somehow. He actually seemed pretty embarrassed about it."

"What's he like?" Morgan asked curiously.

Lena's eyes became rather dreamy. "You'll have to meet him," she declared. "He's tall and handsome, and so _mysterious_ most of the time. He's always really nice, but he's crazy about his training. He's got these silly philosophies for _everything_. And he's the best warrior I've ever seen!"

"It sounds like someone has a crush," Severa said, grinning slyly.

Lena blushed. "Maybe just a little," she admitted quietly, with a shy smile.

"Will we be able to meet him?" Robin asked.

Lena turned, noticing his presence for the first time. "Sir Robin!" she squeaked, recognizing the legendary tactician.

"Hello," Robin said kindly. He was used to the attention and reverence paid to him by his people. It had bothered him in the first few months following the war, but he had long since grown resigned to it.

"Of… of course you'll be able to meet him," Lena said, as soon as she finished struggling to remember Robin's question. "Priam doesn't really shy away from meeting anyone, really. People show up to challenge him all the time, and he never turns them down."

"Oh, we're not here to challenge him," Robin corrected hastily.

Lena smiled. "Maybe not, but he might challenge _you_," she said. "He's obsessed about becoming the strongest warrior ever, and you're pretty famous, you know."

Robin laughed. "He's welcome to the title. It's been years since I've last needed to use a sword, though, so I doubt I'll put up much of a fight."

"You were sparring with Uncle Chrom the other day, weren't you?" Morgan asked.

"Uncle?" Lena said, looking at Morgan, surprised. In an effort to keep some of the questions at bay, the children of the Shepherds who had returned from the future kept their true identities more or less hidden. Morgan cringed, noting her slip, and hastily scrambled around for an excuse.

"It's just a joke," Robin said quickly, covering for his daughter. "We all poke fun at old man Chrom once in a while," he said, smiling. That part was true enough, as Chrom would have it no other way.

"Oh," Lena said. Robin's rather informal manner when speaking of their exalt was enough to divert her attention from Morgan. "Anyways, I'm sure Priam would love to meet you, Sir Robin."

* * *

><p>"Lord Priam!" Lena called, as she led the way to a small meadow, where several wooden dummies were kept. A solitary figure stood at the center of the field, clad in light plate armor. Several strips along the edges of the plates were dyed dark blue, as were the sides of his chest plate. A short red cape reached about halfway down his back, and a black headband kept his messy, long blue hair out of his eyes. Although Robin clearly remembered that Ike had been depicted with a lighter shade of blue hair, Priam's hair was actually of an even darker shade than Chrom or Lucina. As he turned, Robin realized that Priam was no older than he was.<p>

"You don't need to be so formal," Priam said, sounding somewhat amused, as he turned to greet Lena and her guests. "I'm Priam," he introduced, and he proffered his hand as Robin stepped forward cautiously to greet him.

"Robin," the tactician replied, as he accepted the handshake.

Priam's eyes went wide. "Sir Robin of Ylisse? The legendary tactician?"

"Some call me that," Robin admitted. "But I'm afraid the stories exaggerate. You should know that quite well, yourself. I've heard many interesting stories about you, too, Priam."

"Have you now?" Priam asked. "I'm afraid some of my friends overstate my ability," Priam said graciously. "I know there are some who claim me to be the greatest warrior of this land, but as there are many skilled and famed warriors who I have never tested my mettle against, no one can truly confirm such claims."

Robin winced, knowing exactly where the discussion was headed. "Actually, I was referring to stories of your lineage," Robin said, trying to change the subject.

"Ah. Of course," Priam said. "Yes, I am of the bloodline of the Radiant Hero of Tellius. At least, that is what my father and uncle told me. Of course, as Ike lived so very long ago, it is possible I could be mistaken. But whether or not he was truly my ancestor matters little to me, in truth. A warrior's mind and heart mean far more than his blood ever could, Sir Robin."

"True enough," Robin said acceptingly, knowing full well that was all the confirmation they were likely to get. "And please, just call me Robin. This is my wife, Cordelia, and my friends, Severa and Morgan," he continued, introducing the rest of their group.

"It's nice to meet you all," Priam said politely. "Now then, Robin. Would you do me the honor of accepting my challenge?" Priam asked, grinning as he tossed aside his training sword, drawing a regal blade from the sheath on his belt.

Morgan gasped at the sight of the weapon. "Is that Ragnell?" she asked, immediately recognizing the long golden-bladed great sword from the illustrations in one of their books.

"Indeed," Priam confirmed, adjusting his grip to show them the ornate hilt of burnished dark metal, and the emerald embedded in the blade's guard. "It was passed down to me by my father."

"Wow," was all Morgan could say, as she gaped at the legendary weapon.

"It is a fine weapon," Priam said. "Supposedly, it was blessed by the goddess herself. I'm inclined to believe the tales, as I watched my father use this weapon for many years before his passing, and have used it myself ever since, and still it shows no signs of wear."

"Just like Falchion," Cordelia commented, for Chrom's weapon, too, was known for being seemingly indestructible.

"Still, it is a weapon like any other, and the skill of its wielder means far more," Priam said, as he carefully wrapped Ragnell's edge and adopted a combat stance meaningfully.

"I'm afraid I have not fought a real battle in some time," Robin declined politely. "You would almost certainly defeat me without an effort. I would not insult you by wasting your time."

"Oh come on D- Robin!" Severa said, amending her words only just in time. "I know you still practice with the other Shepherds every now and then."

"Please, my friend," Priam insisted. "It is an experience I'm certain I will enjoy, no matter how it plays out."

"It'll be fun, dear," Cordelia added playfully, with a smile.

Robin glared at her, but her smile did not falter. "Why don't you fight him yourself then?" Robin said irritably. He wasn't entirely certain of her motive here. Sometimes, he wondered if she was secretly hoping for Robin to find his comeuppance; though Cordelia had held the upper hand when they started sparring towards the end of the Second Plegian War, Robin's growing familiarity with her style gave him an advantage after a few months that she could never manage to surpass.

"Broken arm, remember?" Cordelia replied, still smiling innocently, as she showed him the sling that Robin himself had insisted she continue wearing.

Robin turned to Morgan, hoping to find _some_ support, but was immediately disappointed. Morgan looked rather anxious to see Priam and his legendary weapon in action, and nodded happily when she met her father's gaze. When Robin's eyes narrowed into a glare, Morgan made the same sad pout she had the night before. Her father proved far more susceptible than her mother had.

"Alright then," Robin said, as he heaved a deep sigh, and drew Eternity. "Do you have another training pad?"

Priam looked around the meadow, and found a discarded cloth pad lying beside one of the dummies, which he passed to Robin. Robin carefully wrapped Eternity's blade, before adopting a combat stance of his own, choosing the standard Ylissean swordsman's stance. "Whenever you're ready," Priam said, as he held Ragnell in front of him, both hands on the hilt, holding it at waist-level with the blade angled upwards.

Robin grimaced. Although the hilt of his blade felt comfortable in his grasp, he knew full well that not training regularly would have taken its toll upon his technique. And besides, he still personally felt his own reputation was exaggerated. Over the years, he had indeed sparred with and been able to defeat some of the most skilled warriors he had ever known, including Chrom, both Feroxi khans, and his own wife, Cordelia. But he seldom won through strength and speed; his advantage rested in patience and careful calculations. Against an opponent who he wasn't familiar with, he'd be hard-pressed. He had agreed to spar with Severa a few months back, and though the girl was essentially her mother's equal, her style was quite different and Robin had been soundly defeated before he could get a handle on his daughter's techniques.

"Patience," Robin muttered grimly to himself, as he advanced, launching a few quick strikes, without fully committing. Priam parried the halfhearted blows easily, and looked almost disappointed by Robin's timid swordplay, not realizing that Robin was merely testing him.

"You're holding back," Priam accused. "Show me what you're made of, tactician!" As he spoke, he leapt forward, bringing his sword arcing overhead in a powerful swing. But even as Priam gathered his footing from the leap, a brash maneuver that Chrom himself was fond of, Robin saw the attack coming, and stepped aside easily.

Robin sent another quick thrust Priam's way, knowing full well that the attack would be parried. Ragnell flew up, slamming into Eternity and nearly knocking it from his grasp, and Robin realized that Priam was at least as strong as any warrior he had ever fought before, even Khan Basilio. But Priam's strength didn't shake Robin much. The tactician retreated quickly, easily avoiding the predictable counterattack.

Priam, now realizing that Robin was quite alert, settled in to a defensive stance when he realized he was unlikely to land a hit until his opponent slipped up, and waited for an opportunity. Robin recognized the change immediately, and took the opportunity to test Priam further. The tactician circled his opponent quickly, launching several carefully measured thrust from different angles. As Robin struck, he was careful to position himself in a way that wouldn't leave any openings, but he paid particularly close attention to Priam's footwork. After about a minute of dancing just outside of Ragnell's reach, Robin knew that Priam was at least as fast as Cordelia and Severa too, the fastest warriors Robin had ever known. But he also determined that Priam won his battles through strength and speed alone. Gifted as Priam was, his positioning and footwork were not too precise.

Finally, Priam grew impatient with the tactician's cautious prodding. Priam followed a parry with a lightning fast horizontal slash, which Robin neatly avoided. But the blue-haired swordsman wasn't finished, and he rushed forward, hoping to overwhelm Robin with speed alone.

Robin had been more or less expecting such a maneuver, but still, the sheer power of his opponent limited his parries. Robin turned the first two blows easily enough, but it put him off balance, and the third attack nearly had him. Eternity managed to deflect Ragnell just enough for Robin to step away. The spectators gasped at the close escape, and some light applause greeted Priam's daring move. "Which side are you ladies on, anyways?" Robin said jokingly. Priam, focused entirely on the battle, didn't respond.

The tactician's escape surprised Priam, who had been expecting the battle to end there. With momentum on his side, Priam continued his relentless assault, but this time, Robin was ready for it, having recognized that Priam was improvising at this point. "Not particularly imaginative," Robin remarked dryly, as he recognized the exact same attack routine. This time, his parries were far smoother. Priam's next few attacks were wild and inefficient, and Robin understood that the failed assault had made his opponent nervous.

Robin willingly gave ground as he backed away, respecting his opponent's strength. But he knew he'd find his opening soon, as Priam's moves became less precise. Priam was growing desperate, and Robin soon found himself in a comfortable rhythm, anticipating Priam's attacks easily and countering them swiftly, putting Priam in a more difficult spot with each exchange. Robin saw a few openings, but let them slip by, acknowledging that Priam was still faster than he was by a wide margin. He only needed a single opening to end this fight, and he reminded himself to wait for the perfect one. In the meantime, he slowed his own movements, feigning fatigue.

Robin's patience was rewarded, when he intentionally left what appeared to be a slight opening. Priam had clearly grown impatient, and even the slightest hint of weakness drew him forth, chopping wildly. But Ragnell was held low initially, and Priam couldn't put much force behind the swing. Robin brought Eternity straight down, slamming against Ragnell's, throwing his weight and momentum beside it. Priam stumble and fell to his knees, but managed to hold on to Ragnell's hilt. The impact had taken its toll on Robin, too, and Eternity's blade bounced upward. Robin knew he wouldn't be able to line up another swing before Priam recovered, but he had predicted as much.

Instead, the devious tactician stepped to the side and kicked out at Priam's wrist. Though Priam wore a thick plated bracer, his grip was already weakened by the powerful blow from before, and the force of Robin's boot was enough to disarm him. Robin immediately fell back, as Priam instinctively threw a punch, and Eternity's blade descended, coming to a rest on Priam's shoulder. "That's it," Robin said coolly, knowing the battle was over.

"Heh. You're good," Priam admitted, and he accepted Robin's help as the tactician offered a hand to his fallen foe.

"You… you actually defeated Priam," Lena said, in a disbelieving tone. Robin and Priam both turned to the audience. Cordelia, Severa, and Morgan were all smiling, the first two with pride, and Morgan with sheer excitement. Lena could only gape in awe.

"I've told you before, Lena, I'm not invincible," Priam said with a grin. "Thank you, Robin. Isolated as we are, it seems I've been a big fish in a small pond for all my life. I did enjoy a taste of the world beyond Azure Pyre."

"There's more to the world than fighting and strength," Robin said. "Still, it was an exhilarating battle. If you really are the descendant of Ike, you do your heritage proud."

"Perhaps," Priam said, unconvinced. "Regardless, you must dine with me tonight, my friends, and we must honor your victory."

Robin grinned crookedly. "I think I've had enough honor and glory for a lifetime, Priam. But I'm sure Morgan, for one, would love to exchange stories with you over dinner."

"Very well then," Priam laughed heartily, reminding Robin of their old friend, Khan Basilio. And indeed, the blue-haired descendant of Ike would fit well in Ferox, Robin thought. "This way," Priam said, as he led them away from the meadow and towards a local tavern.

* * *

><p>The tavern in Azure Pyre was larger than any tavern in Ylisstol. Even so, it was packed to the brim, with over a hundred people sitting around chatting, eating, and drinking. There were several longer wooden tables spanning nearly thirty feet in length arrayed along the center of the room, each accommodating a score of guests. Along the outside edge of the room, smaller tables lined the walls. Some of these were round, and others square. Though it seemed most of the crowd congregated around the longer tables, many of the smaller tables were fully seated, too.<p>

"You get people from all over the world here, don't you?" Cordelia observed, as she spotted a pair of farmers dressed in what appeared to be Valmese clothing, sitting alongside a bulky laborer with calloused hands, who looked to be of Feroxi descent.

"Indeed," Priam said. "Though we've tried to keep a low profile, once in a while, a rumor spills free. Supposedly, pilgrims have quietly made their way here for centuries. Though I am but twenty-five years old myself, I have seen new settlers from as far as Valm, and from all three kingdoms on our continent."

"Are there any other people here from Tellius?" Morgan asked curiously.

Priam shook his head. "To my knowledge, no one has crossed the eastern sea in either direction since my ancestor, Ike, first arrived here with his best friend centuries ago. Of course, in Tellius, it is actually the _western_ sea."

"Really?" Morgan asked, her eyes shining brightly. "What else do you know about Tellius? I've read about these people who could shape-shift into animals at will! Are they real?"

"Sorry," Severa apologized hastily, interrupting Morgan. "My little sister is always a little bit lost in her books."

Priam laughed. "Just like my uncle, Senerio, then. No apologies necessary, as long as you're willing to share a few stories of your own," he said amiably. As they made their way around the room, a young couple waved to Priam, and Priam politely waved back. Robin noted that the two had the same exotic eyes that Say'ri and her people in Chon'sin often had. "You are speaking of the Laguz, I assume," Priam said, speaking to Morgan. "Of course, I've never seen a Laguz myself. But if the stories passed down to me can be believed, they were indeed real."

"Are they like Manaketes?" Morgan asked. "You know, people who can turn into dragons?"

"Perhaps," Priam answered noncommittally. "I know little of Manaketes, but from the legends, they are full-blooded dragons, who assume human appearances as their true nature is rather unstable. From what I've heard of Laguz, they were a little bit different. They usually _can't_ assume their animal forms for extended periods of time, and when they do, they do so purely through instinct."

"So, most of the time, they just look like regular humans, then?" Severa asked.

"The stories say they have some animalistic characteristics," Morgan said, though she looked at Priam for confirmation.

"The stories I've heard indicate much the same," Priam agreed. They made their way to the far corner of the tavern, where two smaller tables had been set, a short distance away from the other guests. "They keep a table set aside for me," he explained. "So that I may find some privacy, at times. Sometimes, I prefer to mediate before my meals, and it is difficult to do so when bombarded by small talk."

Seated at the smaller of the two tables was a young man with black hair. He looked up at Priam and his guests as they approached. Robin saw that he looked quite young, appearing to be about the same age as Morgan, who, according to Severa, was around nineteen years old. His eyes were a curious shade of red, and upon closer examination, his medium length straight hair was actually a really dark shade of green. A strange tattoo rested on his forehead, a series of three thin, parallel red lines with a diagonal, curved line striking through all three.

"Priam," the young man said dispassionately, nodding his head in greeting. Priam nodded back deferentially, but said nothing, before leading his guests to the empty table.

"I hope we aren't interrupting your routine," Robin said, remembering what Priam said about meditation.

But Priam waved his hand dismissively. "Worry not. I rarely enjoy the company of such esteemed guests, and, like Morgan, my own curiosity has been piqued."

A pair of serving girls appeared soon after, bearing large plates of various common country dishes. They apparently knew Priam's tastes quite well, for there were several meat dishes, which the warrior immediately dug into with relish. "We have our own ranches here," Priam said, gesturing towards the fresh mutton and beef, seasoned lightly and basted perfectly. "Although I enjoyed jerky and salted meats as much as the next person, fresh food is always better."

"Your own farms, too," Robin said, as he helped himself to a bit of hearty vegetable stew. "The vegetables here are as good as any I've had in Ylisstol," he complimented.

"The food here _is_ really good," Severa admitted.

"Of course! Food is one of the cornerstones of a warrior's physical _and_ mental training," Priam insisted. "The act of eating is to take the life of other beings and make it into one's own flesh. Proper sustenance is crucial to developing your own strength."

"You hear that?" Cordelia said, smiling at Morgan, who returned her grin sheepishly. Morgan, like her father, often forgot to eat when she was caught up in her work.

"You know, this is really quite a lively place," Robin commented, as he looked around the tavern. "I'm surprised it took so long for word of it to spread."

Priam shrugged. "It's not really all that surprising. Chaos unfolded after the fell dragon descended upon Ylisstol, and many of our people were eager to test their strength against the fell dragon's hordes. Of course, asides from the few travelers who were already in Ylisstol, none of us made it there in time for the invasion itself, but many of my friends battled the risen on the open roads for some time. We offered refuge to many who had lost their homes who returned after the war, so it's only natural that word of our settlement would have spread."

"Does it bother you?" Severa asked curiously.

"Not too much," Priam said with a shrug. "We keep to ourselves out of tradition, but we have no reason to hide, and we are welcoming to any who enjoy our way of life." He looked at them meaningfully.

Robin smiled. "Sorry, Priam. We have our own lives to attend to, in Ylisstol. But perhaps we will visit again."

"I expected as much," Priam said agreeably. "You must have your own friends and comrades from your war against the fell dragon. Speaking of which, Morgan, you spoke of Manaketes earlier, and according to the legend, a Manakete fought alongside the Shepherds. Am I correct in guessing that you, too, fought beside them?"

"Yes," Morgan replied. "And there are two Manaketes among the Shepherds, actually," she explained, and she and Severa began regaling Priam with tales of the Shepherds and their war. Not long after, Priam returned the favor, sharing his own stories of Tellius and his ancestors.

"It's a little bit different from the books, isn't it?" Cordelia asked Robin quietly, with an amused smile.

"It always surprises me how much historians get wrong," Robin agreed, in a similarly soft tone so as to not interrupt the engrossing conversation between Priam and his daughters. Priam had politely invited Lena to stay, but the Pegasus knight was enraptured by her hero and idol, and had not spoken at all since entering the tavern, clinging to his every word. "You know, maybe we have been cooped up in Ylisstol too long. Running the library is nice, but there's still quite a world out there," he mused.

"Are you getting restless already?" Cordelia teased. "I told you it would happen."

"And you were right. Again," Robin conceded, grinning.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Disclaimer: The characters, the setting, and any cover images used belong to Intelligent Systems. I do not own Fire Emblem, or any part of IS.<em>**

**This is my cover of Paralogue 23: The Radiant Hero. I know I initially said I didn't want to include Priam in the main story, but I liked the character. Specifically, his background adds a lot of potential depth to the world's setting (as well as a host of continuity errors that have to be ironed out). On the other hand, there really was nowhere to squeeze him into the main story, so I separated it out. Since the events are a little bit different (Chrom's not even involved, this time, and they have no need to recruit Priam for anything), it plays out a little bit differently. Also, I spent more time with the new Shepherds than I originally intended. Still, I think it came out okay.**

**Lena is an original character, who, like Duke Hyperion, is just me attaching a name to one of the many nameless extras. She's not meant to become a significant character, and isn't based off anyone in particular. I just needed one of the extras to drive the plot forward, and it felt less awkward to give her a name.**

**There is a cameo in this short story. I intentionally made both references to him pretty obvious, and my inclusion of him was not entirely random. There's not a lot of information given regarding Priam's inclusion in the game, so I've done my best to create a little more background for him, which mostly agrees with the canon for both Awakening and Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance / Radiant Dawn. Still, since I had to fabricate some of the details, please do not take my interpretations of these events and characters as canon.**

**Finally, I know this story disagrees just slightly with what Robin said at the end of Road of the Recusant. That's intentional. On one hand, he just had the adventure of the lifetime, going through death itself, not once, but twice. He really ****_is_**** convinced he's ready to call it quits. But after a few years, I think it's proper for him to recognize that even if he doesn't plan to write any more pages in history himself, he and Cordelia still have a whole life ahead of them. So this is also a transition of sorts for Robin, to go from the mindset of "Okay, I'm ready to hide in the library for the rest of my life," to, "Let's go out and ****_live_****."**


	6. Paralogue 5: The Grimleal Cache

**Paralogue 5: The Grimleal Cache**

Sitting at his workbench, Robin carefully turned a small wooden crank at the base of his latest project. As the crank rotated, four thin silver chains slackened slowly, lowering a thin bronze plate down towards a large, wooden tray, filled with black ink. Robin held his breath as he turned the crank, ever so gradually, watching it draw nearer and nearer. He heard the distinctive sound of the plate coming in contact with the liquid, and stopped immediately, now turning the crank in reverse.

Robin let the plate sit for a moment, and watched as a few drops of ink dripped back down into the tray, counting the seconds that went by. After a full count of thirty, he slid the tray to the side, which had been set carefully on wooden ridges carved into the workbench itself. It brought a second tray directly under the plate, this tray carrying a piece of parchment that had been carefully trimmed into a measured rectangle, just a tiny bit larger than the metal plate. Once the paper was in position, Robin began turning the crank again.

A loud thump startled the focused tactician, and his hand twitched, turning the crank far faster than he intended. The bronze plate made a loud smacking sound as it struck the parchment, and the wood below. Robin cringed, knowing the sharp movement could easily damage the fragile bronze plate, but for the moment, he had more pressing matters to attend to. He spun around and rushed down the hall of the upper floor of his library, and turned the corner, around a bookshelf.

"Daddy?" Morgan said, looking at him curiously. The toddler was holding a thick book aloft, holding it over a small wooden doll.

Robin sighed in relief upon seeing the little red-headed girl unharmed. "What are you up to, sweetheart?" he asked kindly, as he scooped up a nearby blanket and draped it over his daughter, who seemed to be shivering just slightly. Ylisse was not nearly as unhospitable as Ferox, but could still get rather chilly during the winter months, and the only fireplace in the library was downstairs.

"Dragon got Dolly!" Morgan proclaimed, as she dropped the book on top of the wooden doll again, the thumping noise that Robin had heard earlier.

"Why does the dragon look like a book?" Robin asked innocently.

Morgan giggled and held the tome up. "Dragon!" she said again, enthusiastically, showing it to her father.

Robin grinned as he saw the picture of a wyvern embroidered onto the cloth cover, and recognized it as one of the queen's favorite fiction novels. Thankfully, the wooden doll that Gaius had made for Morgan was pretty sturdy. He glanced around quickly, making sure that all the books were still on their shelves, safely out of reach of the energetic toddler. "Where's your sister?" Robin asked curiously, a hint of panic returning to his voice as he noticed Morgan's four year old sister was absent. The two girls had been playing together when he looked away, earlier.

"Sev hungry," Morgan explained helpfully. "Daddy, play?" she asked, her eyes shining with joy.

"Sure, just let me find your sister first, okay?" Robin said absently, as he turned for the staircase. Morgan hopped to her feet and followed in his wake, her "dragon", her doll, and the blanket forgotten for now.

"Hello, Daddy!" Severa called cheerfully from her perch upon a small wooden chair beside one of the round reading tables, as she munched on a small sandwich. A small picnic basket laid open on the table.

"I guess it is lunchtime, isn't it?" Robin said, knowing that his daughter was far better at keeping track of time than he was. He pulled up a chair beside her. Morgan, on the other hand, plopped herself happily into a comfy armchair tucked against the wall. "Morgan, come here," Robin said, gesturing towards another small wooden chair nearby.

"I like this seat!" Morgan protested, pouting. Robin sighed, and, having no other recourse, walked over and scooped up his younger daughter, carrying her across the room and placing her into the chair beside his own.

"Lunchtime," Robin said firmly. Morgan didn't seem too bothered, and giggled happily, thoroughly entertained by her father's vexation. Robin handed her a sandwich, which the girl accepted happily.

"Daddy, can we go shopping after lunch?" Severa begged, tugging at his sleeve.

Robin smiled, shaking his head. "We just went shopping yesterday, sweetheart," he reminded, though he knew full well that the little girl could spend every afternoon browsing the market. Thankfully, she was rarely interested in actually _buying_ anything, and was satisfied just seeing all the sparkly trinkets and pretty clothing. In that way, she was a little bit different from her older self, who would almost end up buying something. "Besides, I promised I'd play with Morgan," he added, and Morgan nodded quickly.

"But, Daddy!" Severa protested.

"I'm sorry," Robin said. "Maybe tomorrow, okay? Mommy will come with us, too." That seemed to mollify the girl, who had just finished eating. Severa hopped down from her perch, and ran upstairs. Moments later, she returned, dragging a cloth bag behind her. The bag wasn't particularly large, but nearly half the size of the little girl who was dragging it. It was a rather sturdy bag, too, a gift from the adult Lucina, though Robin suspected that the adult Severa had a hand in helping her friend choose the bag, given the tasteful dark blue coloration. Both the older and younger Lucina favored bright colors and gaudy patterns.

As soon as she had finished eating, Morgan moved a decorated wooden playing board onto the table, and left to find the drawstring pouch full of pieces. The little girl had seen her father playing this same game with her older self, and had been immediately fascinated. The first time, Robin had tried to help her set up the board and the pieces, but had been quickly rebuffed. He knew better now, and watched, amused, as Morgan carefully started placing the pieces on the board.

When Morgan finished, she looked up at her father eagerly. Of course, none of the pieces were in the right place, and the board had been placed sideways. On top of that, some of the pieces weren't placed on the grid at all, and had been placed on the lines instead. Still, Robin knew better than to argue, and soon, the two took turns, moving the pieces seemingly at random, as neither of them really knew what the rules were by this point. Robin couldn't help but smile at Morgan's look of extreme concentration.

Beside their table, Severa had pulled out her toy spear. Cordelia had been _extremely_ upset when Robin purchased that particular toy for the little girl, but Severa had demanded it quite adamantly. It didn't help that Chrom had purchased little Lucina a wooden toy sword. From what Robin heard, Chrom had suffered a particularly lengthy lecture relating to that purchase, too.

In actuality, Severa's toy was just a long branch that had been smoothed down. Cordelia eventually relented, and allowed Severa to keep her toy, when Robin wrapped the pole tightly in a thick cloth blanket. Sumia had done the same with Lucina's toy sword, and the two loved smacking the training dummies around when they were playing in Castle Ylisse. There were no such dummies here in the library, but Severa seemed content hitting a large pillow instead.

* * *

><p>After about half an hour, less than a third of the pieces remained on the board. The game was usually played in under twenty minutes, but with no real objective, Robin's games with little Morgan usually took far longer. Robin was impressed with Morgan's patience, although, about halfway through the game, Morgan had mysteriously decided to start moving the darker playing pieces instead of the lighter ones she had been playing previously. Beside them, Severa had worn herself to exhaustion, and had collapsed on the unfortunate pillow, content to lie their quietly. A few visitors had entered, but upon seeing Robin so thoroughly occupied, they simply spared the legendary tactician and his daughters a smile before tending to their own business.<p>

Then the door swung open once more, and unlike the other visitors, the library's latest guests had evidently sought them out specifically. "Sev!" a young Lucina called, running past her mother towards her friend.

"Lucy!" Severa called back happily, her weariness entirely forgotten, as she sprang to her feet and rushed forward to hug her friend.

"Hello, Robin," Sumia greeted, as she neared the table, holding a sleeping Cynthia upright against her shoulder, swaddled in a fluffy pink blanket. The one-year old girl was snoozing soundly, taking no notice of Lucina and Severa's chattering.

"Good afternoon," Robin said, turning as he waved.

"Wow!" Sumia exclaimed, as she recognized what Robin and Morgan were up to. "You already taught her to play the game?"

"Not exactly," Robin said, smiling. "But she likes to play, anyways." Sumia approached for a closer look, and giggled. Though the queen didn't know how to play the game herself, it was quickly apparent that Morgan had no idea what she was doing. Morgan looked up, confused.

"Hello, Morgan," Sumia greeted, smiling.

Morgan smiled back. "Hello, Auntie Sumia!"

"Are you winning?" Sumia asked.

Morgan shook her head anxiously. "No, Daddy is," she said sadly.

"Aw. It's okay, you will get better at it," Sumia reassured.

"So, what brings you here?" Robin asked curiously. "Weren't you and Cordelia going on a flight together?"

"Chrom wanted a word with you, Robin. And little Lucy saw Cordelia and I come back from our flight together, so she knew Severa was staying with you today, and insisted on coming to see her," Sumia explained.

Robin looked bewildered, and with good reason. If Cordelia was there, too, wouldn't Chrom have just sent her to fetch Robin instead? Before he could voice his concern, though, Morgan interrupted. "Daddy, it's your turn!" she insisted.

"Oh, right. Sorry," Robin said quickly, and he scanned the board quickly, before choosing a piece and sliding it forward a step. Robin was quickly running out of legal moves – Morgan had, at some point, moved her father's lord into a river. Finally, Robin settled for moving his tactician beside the lord.

"Can you do that?" Sumia asked, confused.

"Well, since Morgan's already moved Chrom into the river, I suppose I should try to rescue him before he drowns," Robin said wryly. "Sumia, is something wrong? I thought Chrom would've sent Cordelia to find me, instead," he asked, sounding concerned.

"No, nothing like that," Sumia said hastily. "Miriel and her new assistant returned from their excavation in Plegia, and Chrom was wondering if you'd be willing to help them investigate some of the stuff they discovered. Cordelia seemed a little bit worried, though, and Lucy wanted to come play with Severa, so I offered to watch over Severa and Morgan for you two so she could stay for the briefing, too."

"I see," Robin said, as he watched Morgan move her own wyvern knight off the board. "Umm… sweetheart, where is your dragon going?"

"He's running away," Morgan said, looking at it sadly. "He's scared."

"Then how are you going to capture my lord in the river?" Robin asked kindly.

Morgan stared at the pieces for several seconds, horrified. Finally, she let out a reluctant giggle. "I can't," she admitted shyly. As she spoke, she quickly moved her own lord and tactician off the board too, her imagined army escaping from inevitable defeat.

Robin laughed. "It's okay. You were close, Morgan," he said. "I need to go see Uncle Chrom now. Can you stay here, and be a good girl for Aunt Sumia?" Morgan nodded happily, as she hopped down from her chair, curious to see what her sister and Lucina were up to.

"We'll be fine, Robin. I'll bring them up to the castle later," Sumia reassured.

"Thanks, Sumia," Robin said, as he stood. He looked through the open wooden shutters at the falling snow. With a wistful glance toward the warm fireplace, he retrieved his coat from the rack by the door.

* * *

><p>"Good afternoon," Robin greeted as he entered the throne room. Chrom, Cordelia, Miriel, and Miriel's new assistant, a strange young man named Neutral were seated around the conference table at the edge of the room, leaving both thrones empty.<p>

"Hey, Robin," Chrom said, waving his friend over as he indicated an empty chair beside Cordelia. Robin quickly kissed Cordelia on the cheek before sitting down beside her.

"How are the girls?" Cordelia asked.

"They were fine when I left," Robin said with a shrug. "Sev and Lucina were playing with some beads, and Morgan had just joined them." He turned to Chrom. "Chrom, Sumia said you wanted to see me? Something about an excavation in Plegia?"

"That's right," Chrom confirmed. "Miriel and Neutral just returned from Plegia, with some interesting news, and we were wondering if you'd be willing to lend them some of your expertise."

"I'm not much of an archaeologist," Robin reminded.

"We are aware of that fact," Miriel said impassively. "But you have demonstrated your penchant for imaginative and practicable innovations in the past. My apprentice's disposition is congruent with my own, and an additional perspective may prove invaluable." Robin looked at her blankly.

In a similar tone of disinterest, Neutral tried to clarify. "What my colleague means to convey is that your aptitude for more practical uses of our discoveries may further the value of our investigation." Robin cringed. In some ways, Neutral was the perfect assistant for Miriel. The young man was intelligent and methodical, and had no difficulty understanding Miriel's cryptic manner of speech. But his own diction was just as incomprehensible. In some ways, Neutral even _looked_ like Miriel, with his tall and lanky frame, perpetually serious expression, and a pair of clear spectacles.

"Well… I suppose I'd be happy to help however possible," Robin said, after deciphering part of their request. "Did you have something in particular you wanted me to look at?"

"Actually, they want us to visit the site itself," Cordelia corrected.

Miriel nodded. "Affirmative. Many of the salvaged relics are frail or unstable. Collecting all of our discoveries will prove a protracted procedure. Our intention is instead to establish a research center within the site itself. If you prove agreeable, the most pertinent articles can be brought back to Ylisstol."

"Exalt Chrom has agreed to construct an atelier for you here in Ylisstol, if necessary," Neutral added.

"So, you want me to travel with you back to Plegia, and see if any of these historic artifacts are… useful?" Robin asked, confused.

"They're not artifacts, Robin," Chrom said. "Well, I suppose they are. But, more specifically, Miriel thinks what they found is a Grimleal workshop of some sort."

Robin's eyes widened. "Whoa, hang on a minute. Grimleal? So these artifacts… they're Grimleal weapons?"

"Highly magical implements," Miriel half-confirmed. "Some may be construed as weaponry but they appear to serve a variety of purposes."

"So, you want me messing around with Grimleal magic," Robin said weakly.

"Robin, most of their magic is dead, now," Chrom reminded. "The urns Grima created to allow his minions to summon risen, for instance, are no longer functional, according to Miriel."

"Their magic is not to be feared if we remain cautious," Neutral agreed. "But there's great potential there – some of their research may be repurposed, if we desire."

"I see," Robin said, still trying to process the idea. "But… forgive me, Chrom. Why me? If there's dark magic involved, then wouldn't Tharja or Henry be more suitable?"

"Tharja is visiting Ferox," Chrom reminded. "And Henry _did_ travel to Plegia with Miriel and Neutral. He's there, still, trying to learn more about the various items they've found. But, honestly, I'm a little bit afraid of giving him a free reign. He's still a little bit… strange."

"Crazy." Cordelia corrected, smiling, and Chrom and Robin both laughed. She was only joking, of course; Henry's morbid sense of humor and seemingly permanent smile alarmed those who weren't familiar with him, but his old comrades and friends knew that he was deceptively friendly, and his presence alone was uplifting, to speak nothing of his incredible talent for dark magic.

"Well, it seems you've planned this out pretty well," Robin said, after his laughter subsided. "Still, I don't know. Maybe I should go alone; I don't really want to leave Severa and Morgan alone for too long," he said, glancing at Cordelia.

Predictably, Cordelia shot him an annoyed look. "You would be gone even longer if you were to ride with Miriel and Neutral, especially with snow covering many of the roads," she reminded.

"Maybe Severa, or one of the other Pegasus knights could give me a ride," Robin suggested, though he understood that that wasn't Cordelia's true concern. He knew that despite the recent years of peace, deep down, Cordelia was still afraid of losing him. Truthfully, he shared her fears. He knew it was nonsense, and that things could just as easily go wrong here in Ylisstol, or if the two of them were together, but his near-death and actual-death experiences had taken their toll regardless.

"You won't have to be gone too long," Chrom said hastily. "The site is just north of the Dragon's Table, less than three days' flight from Ylisstol. And Sumia and I would be happy to watch over Severa and Morgan for you two while you're gone."

"Maybe we can bring…" Robin began, but he trailed off when he saw Cordelia glaring at him, as if daring him to finish his suggestion. "Never mind, bad idea," he amended hastily, with a sheepish grin.

"Toddlers and Grimleal workshops probably don't mix," Chrom agreed, accurately guessing Robin's line of thought.

"Especially Morgan, and her infernal habit of building towers of stacked tomes and alchemy flasks," Neutral said, in a surprisingly heated tome. Robin and Cordelia stared at him, surprised that he would be familiar with the toddler's favorite and mildly treacherous game. "I apologize," Neutral said quickly, noting their perplexed looks. "I intended no disrespect, but I have heard stories of your daughter's chicanery from my associates here in the castle."

"The Shepherds," Robin guessed, and Miriel's apprentice looked oddly relieved. "Anyhow, you're right. Keeping the books away from her in a library is bad enough. But are you sure you and Sumia don't mind, Chrom?"

Chrom smiled crookedly. "It's almost all Sumia, anyways. I spend most of my day stuck here in the throne room, remember? But she doesn't mind. In fact, she keeps hoping you two will decide to move back into the castle someday, so the girls can play together more often."

"We're not _that_ far away," Cordelia pointed out.

"We live just outside the castle gates," Robin said. "Sev and Morgan already spend half their afternoons playing in the castle, anyways. And Lucina's welcome to come by and play whenever she wants."

"I keep telling her that, too," Chrom said. "But you know Sumia. Anyways, what do you think, Robin? If you're not comfortable going, I won't push you. We'll probably end up bringing most of the stuff back here, eventually. But I thought you might be interested in checking it out yourself."

"We'll go," Cordelia decided, looking at her husband meaningfully. "Right, Robin?"

"Fine. But if we freeze to death out there, it's your fault," Robin said, grinning.

"Oh, we'll stay warm enough," Cordelia assured, returning Robin's smile and winking.

Chrom groaned. "I'm sure you two will," the exalt said dryly. "Enjoy your little vacation."

* * *

><p>"I get a feeling this trip will take more than three days," Robin said, as he unfurled a bedroll atop a flat and rather hard mattress. It was only the second day of their journey, and a winter storm had caught up to them. As the blizzard began to stir, Cordelia turned Catria back, and the couple returned to a small Plegian farming village they had just passed over. The village was too small for a full-sized inn, but the tavern had a single spare room that the tavern keeper had been more than willing to rent out.<p>

"Oh? What gave it away? The howling winds, or the sleet?" Cordelia teased.

"Sarcasm's my department, remember?" Robin said, laughing lightly, as he laid down atop their bed. Neither of them were overly concerned – winter storms weren't all that unusual, and the locals hadn't been alarmed in the slightest. Little Severa had only been slightly disappointed when her father apologized that they would have to postpone their marketplace tour, but the opportunity to stay in the castle with Lucina was more than enough to appease her. It helped that when the older Severa heard, she volunteered to take the girls shopping herself.

"We can share," Cordelia said, snuggling beside him. "I don't think the tavern keeper recognized us, by the way."

"I'm pretty sure he didn't. But that's fine by me. Preferable, even," Robin said. Though Plegia had once been founded by the Grimleal, no kingdom had suffered more at the claws of the fell dragon than the country of his own worshippers. As a result, the heroes who challenged and defeated the fell dragon were even more revered in Plegia than they were in Ylisse.

"I'm not complaining," Cordelia said quickly, enjoying the quiet evening as much as her husband.

"You aren't tired of living in Ylisstol, are you?" Robin asked softly.

Cordelia looked surprised. "What gave you that idea?" she asked curiously.

"You seemed pretty eager to go on this trip," Robin said. "I'm just worried that you might be feeling a bit stifled living in Ylisstol. It's fine with me… I think I've missed this life, honestly."

Cordelia wrapped her arms around Robin and gave him a quick squeeze. "That's why we're here. I'm happy in Ylisstol, too, but I could tell you were growing a little bit restless."

Robin ran his hand through Cordelia's hair absently. "Maybe a little. But it's not like I'm bored in Ylisstol. We have Severa and Morgan, now."

"Mmm. The girls don't mind if we take a trip every now and then. And in a few years, they'll be old enough to come along with us, if they want to," Cordelia said.

"They will," Robin said. "If they're anything like their older selves. Our daughters are pretty adventurous. But when that day comes, what will we do when we want a bit of time to ourselves?" Robin teased.

"Find taverns with more than a single room," Cordelia answered, in a similarly playful tone, as her hand fluttered gently along Robin's arm.

"Maybe the storm will last through the morning," Robin said, as he closed his eyes, enjoying his wife's touch. "It'll be a good excuse to sleep in a little."

"Do we need an excuse?" Cordelia asked innocently, pouting slightly as she gave Robin another tight squeeze.

* * *

><p>"Hey-o! You came, after all!" Henry called excitedly, as he watched Catria touch down in the campsite. It was a fairly large campsite, initially established for nearly sixty people, though about a third of their team had returned to Ylisstol. Since the site was meant to be a lasting one, most of the tents erected were of a sturdier and more permanent variety, though many would remain empty until Miriel and her assistants returned. A few of their excavation crew were locals, familiar with the lay of the land, but most were Ylisseans. There were several sages, mages, alchemists, and scribes present as well, here to investigate and document the findings.<p>

"How've you been, Henry?" Robin asked, reaching out a hand. But Henry ignored the proffered handshake, and instead swept Robin into a hug.

"It's been so long!" Henry said, laughing. "Hello, Cordelia! How're the tykes doing?"

"They're doing great," Cordelia answered, smiling. Henry's good humor was incredibly contagious. "Severa gave the little stuffed bear you gave her to her little sister, and Morgan sleeps with it every night."

"Aww! That sounds adorable," Henry cooed.

"It is," Robin said.

"Ooh! I've been working on a ritual to generate life force!" Henry said excitedly. "If it works, I can send you guys another stuffed animal. One that's alive!"

"Umm… that's quite alright," Robin declined politely, as he imagined a stuffed animal with the glowing red eyes of a risen.

"I think a moving stuffed animal would just scare the kids," Cordelia agreed. "Thank you, though."

"Oh come on, it'll be amazing!" Henry said eagerly. "It would be just like a pet! But you won't have to feed it and it would never get sick or old!"

"It would still get worn out, though," Cordelia pointed out, and Robin cringed at the thought, trying hard not to think about a stuffed animal walking around, missing an eye with its cotton stuffing poking out from the seams.

"Good point," Henry said thoughtfully. "Oh well. Maybe I can find a solution to that too… say, Robin, have you ever thought about studying dark magic?"

"Once or twice," Robin said casually. "I don't know. I haven't really needed much magic, lately, and even if something does come up, I'm pretty comfortable with elemental magic."

"You're the best," Henry said with a nod. "But there's plenty of good things about dark magic, too!"

"Like?" Cordelia asked curiously.

"Well, for one, it feels really good!" Henry said, cackling in a slightly sinister manner. "It's like if you buy something really, really expensive. Ever done that? Parting with all that coin is tough, and you feel really guilty afterward, but you end up with this amazing new thing you wanted! And that feels really good, you know? Dark magic is like that!"

"Severa would be sold. Though I don't know if there's any guilt involved with her purchases," Robin said, grinning. "But I think I'll have to pass, Henry."

"But wait! There's more!" Henry added. "With the dark arts, everything is painted black! You like black, right?"

"He's finally changed up his wardrobe a bit," Cordelia said. "Henry, do you have a stable or pen here? Catria's probably pretty tired."

"Oh, sure!" Henry said, pointing to the west. "There's a small pen out there, about two hundred paces out. There's horses and oxen there. They're all really friendly, too! And we've got plenty of feed there. Maybe you should unpack first, though. There's a few empty tents near the animal pen you two can choose from."

"Thanks, Henry," Robin said, as he and Cordelia led Catria in the direction he pointed.

"No problem!" Henry called, waving cheerily. "Just let me know when you're ready for the tour!"

* * *

><p>Robin had forgotten how dreary and unpleasant Grimleal lairs could be. The fell dragon's power factored greatly into many of his servants' work, so even this disused workshop resembled a place of unholy worship more than it did any craftsman's workplace that Robin had ever seen. Grima's cruel visage leered at them from various murals and paintings. The room was far taller than necessary, and supported by intricate carved pillars, depicting various gruesome images of victims caught in the throes of dark rituals. Although they were out of the snow, it somehow felt colder than ever.<p>

"I'm still not entirely sure what use Chrom and Miriel were hoping we'd find for these implements," Robin said to Cordelia quietly, as the eerie imagery reminded Robin of the Grimleal practices entailing great sacrifices. Some dark magic was designed similarly to conventional magic, with the only notable difference being that they drew more power from the caster to supplement the energies contained within the tomes, but their discoveries following Grima's fall indicated that much of the Grimleal technology relied on a combination of Grima's own power and life force drawn from sacrifices, animal and human alike.

"Frankly, there is little use to be found. Many of the Grimleal devices are no longer functional," a middle-aged female researcher interrupted snootily, overhearing Robin. "And your lack of respect when speaking of _Exalt_ Chrom is deplorable."

Robin turned, startled. "Oh… I meant no disrespect," he said quickly.

"In fact, Chrom gets a bit upset with us when we call him by his title," Cordelia interceded, smiling.

The researcher looked at them, confused for a moment, before recognition set in. "Oh gods! Sir Robin and Lady Cordelia! I'm so sorry!" she stammered, panicked.

"Don't worry about it," Robin reassured, as he extended a hand, which the flustered researcher shook nervously. "So, what have you learned about these Grimleal devices so far?" he asked politely, noticing that the researcher's discomfort remained.

Robin's ploy worked, and with her attention drawn back to her work, the researcher relaxed visibly. "For one, we know that the risen will likely never be a threat again," she began. "We began our investigation with these small clay urns that we've decided to call canopic jars, after the urns used in funeral rites of certain ancient civilizations. The jars contain little more than ash and seem to serve no purpose, but some of the Grimleal texts that we've translated indicate that the ash was once cursed, and contained the power to awaken the dead."

"Hmm… during the Second Plegian War, we guessed that the Grimleal had found a cache of ancient weaponry, to support their bid for power," Robin remembered. "I guess this must be that cache."

"I'm afraid not," a male researcher interrupted, joining their conversation. "The devices and texts we've discovered are all of recent-make. Miriel hypothesized that it was Grima's return to power that precipitated the establishment of this workshop."

"Oh, right," Robin said, remembering that his future self, corrupted by Grima, could easily have provided the power necessary to fuel these canopic jars. "So, the jars are inert now?"

"Indeed," the female researcher confirmed. "Under Henry's guidance, we've experimented with the urns in a controlled fashion, and determined that no magic remains in them. All that remains is ordinary ceramic jars containing ash."

"What about the rift magic?" Cordelia asked curiously. Though tampering with dark magic made her nervous, the idea of instantaneous travel across long distances seemed appealing, especially considering that some of their old comrades and friends had moved across the sea to Valm. A month's voyage separated them now, and though the Shepherds on either side of the vast ocean wrote to their distant friends, anything more than that proved impossibly inconvenient.

"We found a magical gateway," the male researcher answered, gesturing towards a strange arch placed atop a pedestal. "And a matching keystone. Some of the texts spoke of sorcerers creating a temporary portal, leading from this gateway to the location of the keystone. But we've attempted to replicate the procedure, to little success."

"It appears that only someone tainted by the fell dragon's power can invoke the keystone, or the gateway," the female researcher explained. Curious, Robin lifted the keystone and focused his attention on it.

Nothing happened.

"What did you expect?" Cordelia asked, smiling. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, Robin still secretly feared that Grima's influence remained.

"I figured nothing would happen. Just wanted to make sure," Robin said. Both researchers looked confused, for the Shepherds had kept Robin's true relationship with Grima quiet. "So, with Grima gone, I suppose the gateway and keystone are useless, too," Robin concluded.

"That appears to be the case," the male researcher agreed. "We did find a little bit of a substance Miriel recognized as warp powder. There's not a whole lot left, but unlike the gateway, it proves functional."

"One of the scribes found a manual with instructions on creating more warp powder, but it appears to rely heavily on a bloodstone," the female researcher said.

"As in, the mineral?" Cordelia asked curiously, vaguely remembering the dark green gemstone, speckled with red and yellow. Maribelle was very fond of jewelry, and always took great pleasure in pointing out rare gemstones when they visited the jewelry vendors in the Ylisstol markets.

"Yes and no," the female researcher answered. "The mineral is the same, but a mundane gem is of little use. Apparently, there is truth to the legends of Grimleal and their sacrificial rites. Some bloodstones can draw and retain life force from human sacrifices. That life force is then used in creating the warp powder."

Cordelia winced, reminded of the callous nature of the Grimleal. "So, not very useful, either," she said.

"Not necessarily," Robin corrected. "The bloodstones may be part of their process, but to the Grimleal, life is just another source of magical energy. The elements themselves are similar, and perhaps we could find a substitute."

"Perhaps," the male researcher agreed, although he sounded unconvinced. "Although the Grimleal are not entirely unaccustomed to conventional magic, as you well know. In fact, they have plenty of manuals and devices relating to the use of anima magic." He turned and led them to a lectern. "Take this lectern, for instance. From what we can tell, the Grimleal had only begun experimenting with it." The researcher selected a fire tome from a nearby bookcase, and laid it open upon the lectern. Then, he placed a metal implement, shaped roughly like a torch, into a notch on top of the lectern.

Robin and Cordelia watched, impressed, as the researcher invoked the tome, and the torch lit up. The metal did not burn or melt, and there was no fuel, but the flame burned brightly nonetheless. "A magical torch," the female researcher explained. "The lectern is designed to adjust the power being channeled through it, and feeds the energies into the attached device. The Grimleal only assembled three suitable attachments, all of which interact with fire magic to project flames of varying duration and intensity."

"Does the lectern require you to be capable of wielding magic to begin with?" Cordelia asked, intrigued.

"Unfortunately, yes," the male researcher said. "All of the magic comes from the tome, but it still requires some skill to coax it forth. A skilled user will likely find his magic far more effective," he added, as the magical flames winked out of existence. "Why don't you give it a try, Sir Robin?" he invited.

Robin nodded and reached out for the tome. A moment later, the torch burned brightly once more. They watched the flame in silence for some time. Though the researcher's flame had only lasted for about thirty seconds, after over a minute, Robin's flame was still burning. "Can we build more of these lecterns?" Robin asked curiously, already imagining several uses for the device.

"Likely," a scribe said, as he joined them by the lectern. "Impressive. I have never seen the torch remain lit for so long after a single casting." Even as he spoke, the flame finally burned low. Still, he did not look too disappointed. "Might I ask you to light it once more, Sir Robin?" the scribe asked. "I would like to compare the duration with our existing data."

Robin complied, lighting the torch once more. "So, what would it take to manufacture more of these?" he asked curiously.

"There is a diagram in one of the manuals. As far as I can tell, there is no dark magic involved, but some of the components I do not recognize, and others seem fairly rare," the scribe said, as he stared at a small hourglass he had extracted from his pocket just as Robin lit the torch, timing Robin's spell.

"This certainly holds some promise," Robin said absently, eyeing the lectern. "Maybe we could even make a magical fireplace. I'll ask Henry to have one of these sent over to the library," he said, noticing that there were at least two more in the room.

"No, you won't," Cordelia interrupted quickly. "Not until your library is properly Morgan-proofed."

"Oh, right," Robin remembered sheepishly. "Well, I'll talk to Chrom. Maybe I can expand the library to include an actual workshop. Then I can design it to be a little more secure."

"If you mean to experiment with our discoveries, there are a few more you should see," the male researcher invited, as he led Robin down the hall towards a large workbench covered in mysterious paraphernalia.

Despite her stern reminder, Cordelia felt a nostalgic warmth in her heart as she followed Robin and the researcher. Truthfully, there was one other reason she had been interested in taking this trip with Robin. Life in Ylisstol was pretty routine, and she was afraid it was a waste of Robin's talents. Besides, she loved seeing the pensive spark in his eyes when an idea was brewing in his thoughts.

Even if it meant she had to keep an eye on little Morgan and make sure the mischievous girl stayed out of trouble.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Disclaimer: The characters, the setting, and any cover images used belong to Intelligent Systems. I do not own Fire Emblem, or any part of IS.<em>**

**Like "Sojourn in Ferox," this piece is mostly an original work. In a way, it's a follow up to "Radiant Legacy," as it's part of the transitional period in Robin's life. I honestly found Robin's original character ending to be a little bit lacking. Maybe Grima is all the historians cared about, but I can't help but imagine that Robin could do so much more with his life, even if he never has to carry a sword or tome again.**

**By the way, Neutral isn't an original character. I'm sure most of you have already figured out who he is. It's just a cameo, really, as I don't know if I ever plan to expand on him further. And yes, I was lazy with his alias, and just went with an anagram of his real name. I included him for two reasons. Firstly, to show that the other children ****_do_**** exist, and some of them ****_did_**** make it. However, not wanting to interfere with their parents lives (yet), they're content to remain in the background. Secondly, tome stackers.**

**This is the last of the five stories I initially planned. I was trying to add some depth into my interpretation of the Fire Emblem: Awakening world, and I hope you enjoyed these stories. If you want to see more, or if there's something specific you want to see, toss me some ideas.**

**I'm planning at ****_least_**** one more update to Another Side, Another Story in the meantime, but it would be a little bit different from these other side stories.**


	7. Paralogue 6: Domestic Disturbance

**Paralogue 6: Domestic Disturbance**

"I should probably be going," Robin said, climbing to his feet as he finished his breakfast. He, his wife, and his two younger daughters were gathered around their dining table. "I was hoping to get the purifier working today."

"Don't forget, we're gathering in front of the Shepherd's garrison tonight," Cordelia reminded.

"I won't miss their little competition," Robin promised. "Still, it sounds like the Shepherds are growing stranger and stranger with each passing month. I mean… archery contests made sense. Sort of. And cards, too, since they play it all the time on the road. But cooking? Fishing? _Crafts_?"

Cordelia smiled. "I suppose they're getting bored of sparring. From what Morgan says, the roads have been fairly quiet lately. They need to fill their day somehow, don't they?"

"I suppose. But _crafts_?" Robin seemed unable to grasp the concept. "At least cooking and fishing are practical skills to have on the road."

"Craftsmanship can be useful too. Remember Eternity? Or the javelins I made for the Shepherds way back towards the end of the Second Plegian War?" Cordelia reminded.

"Remember the sea-shell laden javelins you made while we were at Anna's resort?" Robin added wryly. "Aerodynamic, right?" he asked, pointing towards a decorative javelin covered in colorful pastel seashells, hanging above the fireplace and sharing a simple display frame with Robin's sword, Eternity.

Cordelia blushed. "Shush," she chided, smiling despite her cheeks glowing red.

"Or what?" Robin said, grinning.

"Or I'll kiss you again," Cordelia shot back.

"Well, that's terrifying," Robin said wryly. "Anyways, I'll meet you all up in the castle later."

"Bye, Daddy!" little Severa called, waving cheerily. Beside her, her younger sister, Morgan, was in the middle of a mouthful of bread, but still waved enthusiastically.

"Wait, Robin. Have you finished renovating the library yet?" Cordelia asked.

"Mostly," Robin said, nodding. "Why?"

"Do you think you could look after the girls today? Cynthia asked Sumia and me to help her with her project. I don't think Chrom can handle looking after all four of the girls alone, and I don't know if it's safe for them to be playing in the barracks," Cordelia said worriedly.

"Probably not," Robin agreed. "But isn't it cheating if you and Sumia are building Cynthia's project for her?"

Cordelia shrugged. "Lucina said it would be fine. I don't think anyone's taking the contest too seriously… well, except for Vaike."

"Alright. I can watch the girls," Robin promised, as he seated himself once more.

"Thanks," Cordelia said, smiling. After giving him a quick kiss, she turned to the girls. "Behave yourselves, okay?" she said sternly, though her warm smile did not falter.

"Okay!" Morgan replied happily, always eager for a chance to hang out in her father's library, which, to her, was far more entertaining than playing in the castle throne room or dining hall.

Severa looked a little less excited, but nodded solemnly. "We will, Mom," she said solemnly.

"Take care of Morgan too, alright?" Cordelia added, and Severa nodded, trying to assume a dignified, authoritative posture. Unfortunately, it was a difficult look for a girl only four years old to maintain, and Robin could only chuckle at how adorable the girl was when she was pretending to be serious. Cordelia shot him a dirty look, though Robin could tell that Cordelia, too, was straining to hide her smile. "Thanks, Sev. I'll see you both later in the castle," she said, as she gave each of her daughters a hug and kiss before departing.

* * *

><p>Across from Robin and Cordelia's home, a pair of eyes peered through the bushes, watching as Cordelia exited the wooden cottage alone. "Phase three, complete," the hidden spectator whispered to herself gleefully, as she watched her mother set off alone, with no sign of her younger sisters.<p>

Morgan settled herself more comfortably amidst the shrubbery as she waited for her father and younger sisters. A small piece of parchment in her hands outlined her plan, but it had long-since been committed to memory. Still, it didn't hurt to keep it on-hand just in case.

The devious tactician smiled as she considered how well her plan was progressing. Granted, the hardest part was yet to come. Outsmarting her legendary father wasn't easy, but Morgan was determined to emerge triumphant today.

Cynthia had been bursting with ideas when Vaike, of all people, proposed a crafts competition. But with a little gentle prodding, Cynthia had soon decided adamantly that she wanted to create decorative javelins, much like the ones Morgan's mother, Cordelia, was famous for.

Persuading Lucina to allow it was a little more difficult. It had to be subtle, for Morgan was fairly certain Lucina would not approve of her plan, and if Morgan had been too obvious with it, Lucina would inevitably grow suspicious. Morgan had flitted from one Shepherd to another, watching them at work and offering a few helpful suggestions here and there. Conveniently, their friends, Inigo and Brady, were visiting from Ferox, and Brady's parents, Magistrate Maribelle and her husband, Gaius, were both in Ylisstol.

It wasn't hard to convince Owain to go to Brady for help. Owain had whittled himself a nice flute, but didn't know how to play it. Though violins were quite a bit different, Brady was the most musically talented of the Shepherds, and quickly consented to give Owain a few simple lessons.

Severa, who had decided to stitch an Ylissean flag to fly over the barracks, was far harder to persuade, but eventually Morgan had succeeded, and Severa had quietly gone to Maribelle for some help with needlework.

Sending Stahl to the palace kitchen for a larger variety of ingredients was definitely the easiest suggestion to make. The perpetually hunger knight set off immediately after Morgan mentioned the word "kitchen", though whether he went there in search of ingredients or a meal was anyone's best guess.

Since the rules for seeking out help were never firmly established, when Cynthia went to her mother and Cordelia for help, Lucina had no reason to disapprove. And with both mothers busy, and Chrom occupied doing exalt things, Morgan knew her little sisters would be exactly where she needed them to be. She had secretly hoped it would be even more hectic, with little Lucina and Cynthia joining her sisters in her father's library, but all along she knew that was a bit too wishful.

"Maybe it would've been easier for me to convince Mom to go flying with Aunt Sumia today instead," Morgan mused quietly. The sound of a door opening silenced her though, and Morgan was careful not to give her hiding spot away as she peered through the bushes, watching her father lead her two younger sisters to the library beside their home.

"Just as planned," Morgan said softly, as she began a silent count to three hundred.

* * *

><p>After ushering the two girls upstairs, Robin did a quick scan of his surroundings. "The gate is in place," he confirmed aloud, as he pushed against a simple wooden fence placed at the top of the staircase. Neither of his younger daughters was quite tall enough to reach the latch, which meant both girls were trapped upstairs. He glanced at the bookshelves. "And so are the books," he said, with a satisfied nod. Long cloth straps stretched across the shelves, keeping the books tightly secured. Any visitors would be able to undo them easily enough, but little Morgan thankfully didn't know how to manage knots yet, and Severa had little interest in reading alone.<p>

Robin reached over and flipped open a large wooden chest, double-checking to ensure nothing hazardous had been left behind. Once he was satisfied, he stepped aside, and the two girls happily reached inside for their favorite toys. "You two be good, alright? I'm just inside the workshop if you need anything. I'll come check on you every half an hour," he promised.

Distracted by their own games, neither Severa nor Morgan acknowledged him, save for a couple quick nods. Robin took one last look around to make sure everything was still in place, before unlocking the workshop, then carefully locking the door behind him as he entered.

A small window let some light in, but it was hardly enough for Robin to work with. He reached for a custom-made fire tome, and channeled it into a wooden lectern that he had built, modeled after a Grimleal invention that Miriel and Henry had discovered about a year ago. The metal attachment, shaped like the head of a torch, began burning brightly with magical flames, illuminating the room completely.

"Now… where were we?" Robin said, as he settled himself at his desk with a stack of blueprints.

* * *

><p>"Morgan?" little Morgan asked, gazing at her older self, who stood at the top of the staircase, just behind the wooden fence.<p>

Morgan smiled and put a finger to her lips. Both of her younger sisters understood immediately, and remained silent as Morgan carefully opened the fence as quietly as possible, latching it behind her, and crouching down beside the two girls. "Hey, how are you two doing?" Morgan asked cheerfully, though she kept her voice down.

"Good," both girls answered brightly.

"Umm… I'm not supposed to be here right now," Morgan said quickly. "So we need to be quiet, okay? But I need your help with something."

Her younger sisters looked at her curiously, but just to ensure they were cooperative, Morgan drew two small pouches of candies from her belt. "Here. Don't tell Mom and Dad," she warned, as she handed the two bags over.

As the two girls began munching happily on the treats, Morgan began outlining her plan. Both of her sisters nodded agreeably. She knew she didn't have much time, but thankfully her plan was reasonably simple when it came to her little sisters.

The hardest part was teaching little Morgan how to undo a knot, but like her older self, the little red-haired toddler was a fast learner.

"Phase four complete. Mate in two," Morgan said, grinning proudly, as she concealed herself in the far corner of the room, knowing that if everything played out like she was expecting, her father would never have time to search for her there.

* * *

><p>With a frown, Robin realized he was going to have to pay the blacksmith another visit. Assuming the blacksmith didn't just throw him out. At first, the local smith had been eager to help the legendary tactician, but Robin knew the sheer strangeness of his requests made the smith nervous. This time, he wasn't even sure if the smith would know how to approach the project.<p>

A simple metal plate wasn't hard, but how would one go about producing the same plate, covered in evenly placed round dimples? And for someone who didn't understand the study Miriel called "thermodynamics", the project wouldn't even make any logical sense. Truth be told, Robin wasn't entirely sure he understood all the concepts himself, but he got the gist of it, and in theory, this design should work much better than his first attempt.

Of course, if the water would be so kind as to suspend itself in midair over the fire, it would be even easier. "If only," Robin said, chuckling at the thought. He then noticed that the half-hour glass resting upon his workbench was empty. He knew the girls were probably just fine – he had taken every possible precaution, after all. But Morgan, in particular, would grow pretty fussy if either of her parents were nearby but ignoring her.

Robin made his way to the workshop door, which, by design, opened inwards so that it would not hit any little girls who could potentially decide to lean against it. "Hey, how are you two doing?" Robin asked, as he shut the door behind him. When he turned around, he let out a gasp of horror.

The fence was ajar. A small pyramid of tomes had been assembled beside it, enough for Severa to have reached the latch. Neither girl was to be seen, but only a few feet away, there was what looked like a small fortress, also built from books. Numbly, Robin realized that the straps securing the tomes on the lower shelves had been undone.

Robin approached the little tome fortress, unsure of how he was supposed to explain this particular incident to Cordelia, and lifted a tome absently. He chose poorly, though, for the fortress was structurally unsound, and collapsed. A high-pitched squeal alerted Robin to the fact that the fortress had _not_ been empty, as Robin had imagined.

"Morgan! Morgan! Are you okay!?" Robin said, panicking, as he hastily moved the tomes aside to uncover the giggling toddler who had been hiding within her fortress. He sank back and closed his eyes, relieved, when he saw that Morgan was unharmed and thoroughly amused.

"Hi, Daddy!" Morgan said cheerfully.

"How many times has Daddy told you? You shouldn't be stacking tomes like that!" Robin scolded. Morgan made a sad little pout, and Robin groaned. He _knew_ he was too soft on the girls, but he couldn't help it. "Daddy's not angry. Daddy's just worried about you, Morgan. You have to be careful, okay?" he said gently, lowering his voice.

"Okay," Morgan agreed readily. "Daddy, can we play?"

"Not right now, sweetheart," Robin said absently. "Daddy has work to do." His eyes widened a moment later when he realized there was still one toddler unaccounted for. "Morgan, do you know where Severa went?" he asked urgently.

Morgan shook her head, bewildered, and with another groan, Robin started down the stairs, with little Morgan following happily in his wake.

Unbeknownst to him, on the other side of the room, the older Morgan was listening closely and carefully counting his footsteps. As soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs, she slipped around the corner and tiptoed over to the workshop door. Robin occasionally lent Morgan the keys when she was helping him in the workshop, but he was too careful to leave them in her hands unnecessary. But in his rush to find the toddlers, he had accidentally left the door unlocked.

"Checkmate," Morgan cheered quietly, as she slipped into the workshop.

* * *

><p>At first, Robin thought he would find Severa hovering over the table where he had left their lunch. Severa often got fussy when she was hungry. But it wasn't even close to noon yet, and they had just had breakfast before leaving the house. The small basket of food lay on the table, untouched, and Severa was nowhere to be seen.<p>

"Severa?" Robin called hesitantly. "Sev? Where are you?" He glanced at the library door, desperately hoping that the little girl hadn't decided to leave on her own.

Thankfully, Severa hadn't gone quite _that_ far. Her older sister had promised her a small bracelet was hidden somewhere in the lower floor of the library, and she had been determined to find it. At least, until she had found an enthusiastic and exotic gathering waiting for her. Now, she rested comfortably in an armchair, with several of the library's guests gathered around her as she read aloud from a book of children's fables. Oddly enough, many of today's visitors didn't know how to read themselves, and were quite impressed to see the toddler reading at all.

Lost amidst dreadful thoughts of trying to explain the situation to Cordelia, Robin nearly missed the soft chorus of voices from the far side of the room, obscured by the bookshelf. But little Morgan heard her sister speaking quietly, and set off curiously to investigate. Not wanting to lose _both_ of his daughters, Robin hurriedly followed, and soon spotted the unusual crowd.

"There you are, Severa!" Robin said, in a tone of mixed exasperation and relief, though the absurdity of the scene was lost upon him for a moment.

A red-haired woman wearing a fine red traveler's tunic looked up upon hearing his voice. "Hello, Robin!" Anna said brightly, detaching herself from the gathering. At her words, her seven companions all looked up, stunned.

Robin blinked. "Anna?" he asked. He meant to continue and ask what the merchant was doing in the library, but the visitors, many of which who looked foreign, interrupted him, bombarding him with questions. Since they all spoke at once, their voices joined in an undecipherable cacophony.

"Whoa!" Robin cried, trying to back away. He didn't get far; one of the visitors had seized his hand and was shaking it vigorously. "Anna, what's going on here!?"

"Everyone's here to see you, of course!" Anna answered, in a matter-of-fact tone. "Speaking of which, you wouldn't mind giving them a few autographs, would you?"

"Autographs?" Robin asked.

"Yeah! It's easy! All you have to do is write down your own name!" Anna explained quickly. She withdrew a stack of parchment from one of her many pockets and shoved it into Robin's hands. "Come on, be a sport! Please?" The others all looked to Robin eagerly.

Robin glanced past them nervously. Severa seemed miffed that her audience had turned its attention to her father instead, and had set her book down, looking irritated. Morgan, on the other hand, had lifted a tome from the shelf. Robin let out a sigh of relief when Morgan simply flipped the book open; though both girls were quick learners, Morgan had only begun to read. Still, she enjoyed looking at pictures. Satisfied that, for the moment at least, the two toddlers were staying out of trouble, Robin brought his attention back to Anna. "Why are you here, Anna?" Robin asked, lowering his voice.

"These fine folks came all the way from Valm to visit Ylisse! Isn't it exciting?" Anna said happily. "They've signed on for my famous 'Sights of Ylisstol' tour, and this is one of our stops!"

"Anna, this is a library, not a museum," Robin groaned, and he set down the stack of paper on a writing desk before sinking into a nearby armchair. The Valmese tourists looked quite disappointed.

"Oh, don't be that way," Anna cajoled in a pleading tone, painting her face with what she must have thought was a winning smile.

Robin closed his eyes. While he found it impossible to stay angry with Severa and Morgan for long, it was quite the opposite with Anna. Every time she managed to get him involved with one of her schemes in her endless quest for wealth, Robin found himself with a splitting headache. He bit back the first three responses that came to mind, and forced himself to count to ten before answering. "Sorry, Anna. You and your guests are welcome to stay in the library as long as you would like, but I'm afraid I have quite a lot of work that still has to be finished," Robin said tactfully.

"Please, Robin?" Anna begged.

"Not today," Robin said, shaking his head.

Before Anna could continue her attempts to change Robin's mind, little Morgan screamed, startling everyone in the room.

* * *

><p>"See, <em>this<em> is why Mom always says you need to keep your workshop clean," the adult Morgan said, smiling deviously, as she pocketed a fire tome that was lying sideways on the shelf. There were at least half a dozen tomes just like it. "I bet you won't even notice this is missing."

Unfortunately, fire magic had been banned from the Shepherd's garrison. Morgan knew that Lucina would notice immediately if the fire tomes in the armory went missing. But everyone was supposed to present _something_ at the crafts competition tonight, and Morgan needed fire magic for her scheme to work.

Now that she thought about it, it did seem like an awful lot of work for one fire tome. "Maybe I should've tried to switch out one of the one's in the armory for a fake instead," Morgan mused quietly, as she headed towards the doorway. Her father would probably be on his way back soon, and getting caught would put an unfortunate wrinkle in her plans.

A small wooden crate, hastily shoved beneath the workbench, caught Morgan's eye, and like a moth to a flame, Morgan could hardly resist peeking at its contents. Her smile broadened as she recognized the small bags of powder as the materials Chrom had purchased for Robin two weeks ago.

* * *

><p>"Morgan! Morgan, what's wrong!?" Robin called, rushing past the crowd to Morgan's side. The little red-haired toddler had shoved her tome aside before scrambling away and bumping into a book shelf. Severa glanced at her little sister, concerned.<p>

"Ghost!" Morgan cried, terrified, pointing at the discarded tome.

Confused, Robin approached the tome. He sighed as he understood what had happened, for this particular book was a recently penned historical recounting of the Second Plegian War, and Morgan had unfortunately turned to a page with a rather lifelike depiction of the risen. "It's okay, Morgan, it's just a picture," he said soothingly, as he closed the book and set it on the bookshelf. "It's gone now. Alright? Nothing to worry about."

Morgan didn't seem to be reassured in the slightest, and sat there, staring at the tome, petrified. Even after her father scooped her up, she remained perfectly still.

Robin glanced at the library's visitors apologetically. "I'm sorry, but this isn't a good time. I hope you enjoy your stay in Ylisstol," he said politely.

Some of the visitors looked crestfallen, but a couple of them nodded agreeably, and one woman, who reminded Robin of the Shepherds' friend, Queen Say'ri of Chon'sin, smiled tenderly as she watched Robin's attempts to comfort Morgan.

The most disappointed of the visitors, was, of course, Anna, who could almost hear the figurative wings of her profit margin flying out the window. "Robin, these people came all the way from _Valm_. Have you forgotten how far away Valm is? You can't send them home empty-handed!" Anna pleaded. "It's just a few signatures! It will only take a minute!"

Just as Robin was beginning to reconsider, an older man spoke up. "Miss Anna, you did mention that Sir Robin would be willing to offer a demonstration of his skills for a small fee," he said, looking pointedly at a game board lying upon a table against the far corner of the room.

"I'm sorry, but Anna was mistaken," Robin said, trying hard to maintain his polite smile. "Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me."

* * *

><p>"Please don't follow him upstairs, please don't follow him upstairs," Morgan whispered from her corner on the upper-floor. After pilfering some other materials which would provide entertaining, Morgan had returned to her hiding spot, waiting for her father to shut himself in the workshop once more before making her escape. Initially, Morgan had feared that she had overstayed in the workshop. But her father was nowhere in sight when she hid herself in the corner once more, and after several minutes, Morgan began to wonder just what sort of trouble her little sisters might have gotten themselves into.<p>

Thankfully, when Morgan crept closer to eavesdrop on the gathering below, she realized it was just Anna up to her shenanigans again. The timing was pretty inconvenient, as Morgan still needed ample time for the rest of her preparations, but she retreated to her corner once more, waiting patiently.

Eventually, Robin did manage to extricate himself from Anna, and Morgan heard the merchant storm out of the library, muttering loudly about "job-killing socialists." But Robin didn't head straight for his workshop, as Morgan had predicted.

"Morgan? Are you alright?" Robin asked, and Morgan gasped quietly, fearing she had been discovered. But her father was addressing her younger self, who was still being held by her father. The little girl nodded reluctantly. But when Robin began to set her down, she grabbed on to him tightly, refusing to let go.

Robin sighed. "Not a word to Mom, okay?" he said, and little Morgan's head bobbed up and down in agreement. "Severa, I have to tidy up the workshop. Are you going to be okay here for a few minutes by yourself?"

Severa nodded absentmindedly, playing with her new bracelet which she had evidently found during the confusion. If he wasn't mentally preoccupied with the prospect of keeping Morgan out of trouble within his workshop, Robin would've noticed that the bracelet looked unfamiliar.

And as the adult Morgan had predicted (and hoped), her father didn't notice any of the missing articles.

* * *

><p>"Ooh! Daddy, look at this one!" Little Severa veritably hopped up and down as she gestured excitedly toward a large pillow with an elegant floral pattern. The vendor, an elderly and kindly matron, smiled indulgently. She knew Robin likely wouldn't be purchasing anything for Severa today; the little platinum-blond toddler came by at least once a week to marvel at the beautiful patterns, but she already owned over six pillows, purchased from that very stall, so the vendor had nothing to complain about.<p>

"Isn't this the same as the blue one you have at home?" Robin asked curiously, for the pattern seemed identical to the one on one of Severa's pillows.

"No, this one's got eight flowers! Mine has seven!" Severa corrected. But the little girl was then distracted by the scent of candied apples, and skipped over to the next stand.

Robin began to follow before noticing that little Morgan, distracted with the length of rope in her hands, hadn't noticed her sister leaving. He nudged her lightly, and Morgan looked up, startled. Then, she handed the straight piece of rope to her father and looked at him expectantly.

"Come along, Morgan," Robin said, as he followed Severa while tying the piece of rope into a quick knot. Morgan followed obediently, and only after they, too, were standing in front of the dessert vendor did Robin hand the knot back to Morgan. The younger girl didn't seem to care much for the fruits, and instead busied herself undoing the knot once more.

"I _still_ don't know how you figured this out so quickly on your own," Robin muttered. Though he was loud enough to be overheard, Morgan didn't seem interested in replying, and instead handed the straightened rope back to him, clearly enjoying her little game.

At first, Robin had been tempted to return to his work, but a certain small distraction with her beautiful mother's vibrant red hair quickly made him think better of it. Once inside the workshop and safely away from the "ghost" she had discovered downstairs, Morgan had begun inspecting the various odds and ends with great interest, to Robin's great alarm.

Satisfied that she was no longer thinking of the gruesome artwork, Robin had led the girl outside once more, thinking to leave her with her older sister again. But Morgan had quickly disavowed him of that notion, and with a sad, terrified look on her face, she refused to let go of his hand. Of course, Morgan had put the "ghost" long behind her, but her father's workshop was _far_ more interesting than the toy chest, and young as she was, she knew opportunity when she saw it.

It was only then that Robin remembered Morgan's remarkable achievement in undoing the straps holding the books in. Curious, Robin tied a simple knot in a short length of rope and handed it to Morgan, who gleefully undid it and handed it back, smiling proudly. With that, Robin knew with all certainty that he wasn't getting any work done today, which was what put them where they were, exploring the marketplace which little Severa frequented at least twice a week.

"Did you want an apple?" Robin asked Severa, as he tied the rope up and handed it back to Morgan, for the fifteenth time since they left the library. This time, he chose a different type of knot which was particular popular among sailors.

Severa stared at the apple longingly for some time, before shaking her head. "I'm not hungry. Auntie made us pie, remember?" she reminded brightly, before skipping off to the next vendor. And indeed, just before setting out, they had had lunch, which included some apple pie that Queen Sumia had made for them herself.

"What about you?" Robin said, turning to Morgan, who seemed quite puzzled with the scaffold knot her father had given her. For the first time, Morgan noticed the vendor they were standing in front of, and peered up at the candied apples inquisitively. "You know what those are. You had one last week, remember?" Robin added.

As a matter of fact, Morgan _didn't_ remember, and only shrugged before turning her attention back to her new favorite toy. She plodded forward obediently in the general direction her sister had gone, with her father carefully steering her away from any road hazards… or walls.

In the meantime, Robin took note of Severa's new bracelet, with sunlight glinting off of it, and wondered idly why could not remember the little girl wearing it before.

* * *

><p>Two hours later, as the sun began to sink beyond the horizon, Robin shepherded both the toddlers up the castle steps, heading to the training yard where the Shepherds' hangout was situated. Several of the castle's workers smiled and waved to them as they passed them by. The two girls waved back happily, though Severa was constantly looking around, hoping to find her best friend Lucina, while Morgan kept glancing back at her father, hoping he would give her another knot to undo. In the end, it had only taken a few minutes for her to figure out the scaffold knot, too.<p>

"Mom!" Severa cried, elated, when she spotted Cordelia approaching them.

"Hello, girls," Cordelia replied, smiling warmly, and she crouched down to embrace both of her daughters. "Did you have a fun time in the library?"

"We went shopping!" Severa corrected enthusiastically, as Morgan giggled. Cordelia looked up at her husband, confused.

"Did you finish your project early, then?" Cordelia asked.

Robin rolled his eyes. "I wish. Here, watch this." Robin quickly tied a knot in the rope and passed it to Morgan. "Morgan, do you want to show Mom what you learned today?"

Morgan's eyes shined brightly as she attacked the knot with previously unseen fervor, and in only seconds, she presented the straightened rope to her mother, beaming with pride.

"Wow! Did you learn that all by yourself?" Cordelia asked, ruffling the little girl's hair. Cordelia then looked at Robin questioningly, as if wondering why Morgan learning how to undo a knot would be a problem, but then the implications of the girl's newfound knowledge set in and her eyes widened.

"Yes. A castle made out of books," Robin confirmed anyways, and Morgan giggled sheepishly, knowing what her father was referring to.

Morgan shrank back nervously when her mother stared at her hard. "You know you're not supposed to play with books," Cordelia berated gently, and the toddler hung her head, ashamed.

Little Severa, meanwhile, had grown impatient. "Mom, do you know where Lucy is?"

"She and Cynthia are with Uncle Chrom. Aunt Sumia just went to fetch them. We'll see them later in the training yard," Cordelia promised. "Come on, let's get going."

"How's the contest shaping up?" Robin asked curiously, as Morgan pressed the rope upon him once more. This time, he took her hand and guided her firmly down the hall, not wanting to take the risk of the little girl knocking over and damaging any of the castle's decorations.

"Well… I don't know," Cordelia admitted, smiling slightly. "Cynthia's taste is a little bit… eclectic, I guess. And there were some absolutely terrible noises coming from the tea room. I think it might be Owain and his new flute."

"Hmm… what about Severa and Morgan?" Robin asked. "Come to think of it, is Morgan even participating? I haven't heard anything about her project at all."

"She said she was," Cordelia said, frowning thoughtfully. "But you're right. She hasn't said anything else, and I haven't even seen her all day. And Severa is refusing to show her project to anyone until tonight; I can't tell if she's embarrassed or anxious."

Robin grimaced. "I used to think the younger girls being abnormally quiet was scary. Somehow, not knowing what the adult Morgan is up to is _terrifying_."

"Like father, like daughter?" Cordelia teased.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Robin protested, feigning petulance.

"Oh, nothing," Cordelia said, smiling innocently.

* * *

><p>Upon stepping into the training yard, little Morgan immediately squirmed free of her father's grasp, and sprinted toward her older sisters who were already seated by the campfire. "Morgan!" she cried happily, before hopping into her older self's lap. Most of the others gathered around the fire laughed, clearly amused by the sight. Vaike, Stahl, Owain, Cynthia, Lucina, and Ricken were there. Their guests from Themis and Ferox, Maribelle, Gaius, Inigo, and both the older and younger versions of Brady were there as well.<p>

"Hey, how are you doing? How was the library?" Morgan asked cheerfully, with the slightest wink.

"Fun!" little Morgan replied immediately. "And Daddy took us shopping!"

"Did you buy anything?" the older Severa asked, and the little girl shook her head. "Well, what's the fun in that?" Severa said in a tone of mock exasperation.

Cordelia sat down on Severa's other side, carefully stepping around a large parcel wrapped in brown paper and guiding the younger Severa to the seat beside her. "How did your flag turn out, Severa?"

"Just wait 'til you see it," Severa replied, grinning eagerly. "Hey, Sev, is that bracelet new?" Severa asked, noticing the bauble adoring her younger self's wrist.

The little girl only shrugged in response. Robin glanced at the bracelet curiously – he apparently hadn't been imagining it when he thought it looked unfamiliar. "Severa, can I see that bracelet?" he asked, gesturing toward it. "I'll give it right back, I promise," he added, when the little girl looked suspicious.

It was just an ordinary, cheap bauble, probably from one of the local vendors. "Where did you find this?" Robin asked, as he handed the bracelet back to his daughter.

"I bought it for her," the adult Morgan answered. "A couple days ago. It was cheap, and it looks pretty, doesn't it?" Mentally, she reminded herself that the strongest deceptions were those that carried an element of truth. That, and she was worried that if she didn't intercede quickly, one of the toddlers would spill the beans sooner or later.

"_You_ bought _jewelry?_" Severa asked disbelievingly.

"Uh-huh," Morgan replied brightly, and Severa seemed lost for words.

"Hey! We gonna get this started or what!?" Vaike demanded. Robin looked up, and noticed the rest of the Shepherds, who were previously chattering idly, had fallen silent at Vaike's words, looking to Lucina.

"My father isn't here yet," Lucina reminded.

"I'm here now," Chrom called from the doorway, as he, Sumia, and the younger Lucina and Cynthia entered the training yard and approached the gathering.

"Sorry for being late," Sumia apologized. "Cynthia insisted she wanted to wear her blue dress instead," she explained. Beside her, the younger Cynthia did a small, graceful twirl, flaunting her favorite outfit.

"Aw! You look beautiful!" the older Cynthia congratulated, and her younger self raced over to her side, giggling excitedly, clearly elated with her older sister's praise.

"Alright! Let's get going!" Vaike roared enthusiastically, and he marched over to a large object, roughly the size and shape of an adult horse, wrapped tightly in brown paper.

"Whoa! Wait up! Who said you're going first, Vaike?" the older Cynthia immediately, and predictably, protested.

"Well, this contest _was_ my idea, yea?" Vaike justified.

"Still, I don't think that means you get to pick _all_ the rules," Stahl said. Sitting beside him, Ricken was muttering in agreement.

"Indeed!" Owain boomed. "I do believe the competitor with the most spectacular presentation should be given the honor of going first!"

"And just how do we determine that _before_ we begin, you dork?" Severa said, rolling her eyes.

"Come on, everyone. It's not that big of a deal," Lucina said consolingly. "Everyone will get their turn. Vaike, since this contest _was_ your idea, you can go first if you want."

"Oh you don't want to do that," Morgan interrupted quickly. "We should save the best presentation for last, Vaike."

"Hmm… good point," Vaike agreed. "Okay, I'll go last," he decided, and his declaration was met by a chorus of groans.

"Just make up your mind," Ricken fumed.

"Alright, enough!" Lucina barked. "Sev, do you mind going first?" she said, looking at her best friend pleadingly.

"Sure thing," Severa said, smirking as she reached for her parcel.

* * *

><p>Morgan waited until her mother and father were distracted by the show before letting out a small sigh of relief. She had already left more of a trail than she had hoped, but delaying Vaike's presentation was a necessary risk. Thankfully, Vaike was pretty easily to manipulate.<p>

Severa's flag was remarkably well-made, especially considering that Severa had never done any sort of needlework before, and with a little bit of help from Lucina, Maribelle, and Cordelia, they had raised the flag over the garrison.

Stahl insisted on going next, possibly out of hunger, and presented his friends with a fancy five-course meal he had toiled to prepare all day. It wasn't really a craft, but neither was it unexpected. Besides, their gathering needed some food, so no one was inclined to argue with the knight.

Despite the horrible din in the castle earlier, Owain managed to carry a simple melody on his homemade flute without too much trouble. Brady had buried his face in his hands when Owain began, fearing the worst, but even he had to admit the performance turned out okay.

Ricken had opted for something a bit more mystical in nature. He pulled forth a fire tome, and began spinning flames into various shapes, a few feet up in the air. The audience looked on, enchanted by the silhouettes of a deer, wolf, dragon, and sword that appeared in the swirling flames.

Once the mage's show had come to an end, Morgan spun to face Lucina. "How come he gets to play with fire?" Morgan protested.

"Because he asked permission first, explained what he was doing, and most importantly, hasn't almost burned down our barracks before," Lucina said sternly.

"Do you want to go next, Morgan?" Cynthia offered politely.

Morgan shook her head. "Umm… I ran into some problems with my project," she said apologetically. "I don't know if I want to show it after all."

"Come on, please?" little Morgan, who was still sitting her older sister's lap, pleaded.

"It's okay if it's not perfect," Lucina said. "It's just for fun, Morgan. Don't worry about it."

Morgan sighed. "Okay. I'll go fetch it. You guys go ahead," she said. The older Morgan set off toward the castle. Rather than taking her seat, the younger Morgan simply climbed onto her father instead. Robin watched Morgan leave the training yard curiously, with a slight feeling that something wasn't quite right.

Once Morgan was out of sight, she retrieved the fire tome she had stashed behind a decorative suit of armor, then carefully made her way around the castle. Conveniently, someone had punched a hole in the training yard's stone walls a while ago. It was well-hidden, but Morgan had discovered it within a few months training alongside the Shepherds.

Unseen, Morgan slipped back into the training yard and hid herself in the bushes, just in time for Vaike to begin the supposed final presentation.

* * *

><p>"Alright Vaike, go ahead," Lucina said, as Cynthia stowed her flower-wrapped javelin carefully. Her javelin lacked the elegance of Cordelia's work, but made up for it in bright and gaudy colors instead. "We don't know how long Morgan will be."<p>

"Hah! Maybe Morgan ran away!" Vaike boasted.

"Morgan wouldn't run away!" little Morgan protested.

"Well, maybe she _should_ have," Vaike said, smirking, as he grabbed at the paper wrapping on his project. He pulled roughly, but instead of coming off entirely, there was a loud ripping sound as the portion Vaike had grabbed on was torn away. "Hey!" Vaike exclaimed angrily, as he reached out for another handful of paper. A second loud rip sounded, and most of the audience cringed.

"Vaike, do you need help?" Lucina asked politely.

"The darn thing's stuck!" Vaike said, shaking his head stubbornly. After several minutes, he had managed to remove about half of the paper, revealing a large wooden object with wings. He had probably imagined it to be a Pegasus, but it looked terribly out of proportion. The wings jutted out at awkward angles, and nails protruded oddly from various points. Vaike had also painstakingly painted the model, and most of the part of the sculpture that was visible was splotchy white. "Good enough!" Vaike decided, giving in to his frustration.

"Vaike, you do know you have to let the paint dry before you wrap it, right?" Lucina asked hesitantly, noting that her younger self, and the younger versions of Cynthia, Morgan, Severa, and Brady all looked uneasy. She couldn't really fault them; even without the chunks of paper stuck to it, the poor paint job made the Pegasus rather grotesque. In fact, it would've been less terrifying if Vaike had just left the Pegasus wrapped up.

"I did!" Vaike fumed. "Never mind that. It'll be awesome!" Vaike grinned, his confidence returning. Oblivious to his audience's reactions, he pushed the sculpture to a stepladder leaning against a tall tree.

"Wait, Vaike, what are you doing?" Chrom spoke up, alarmed. He, and the others in the crowd, had just noticed the long rope tied to the top of the tree, and to the top of another tree of roughly equal height across the training yard.

"Just gimme a moment, will ya? This bird's gonna fly!" Vaike said. That declaration did little to ease the tension.

"Are you sure that's safe?" Cordelia asked, sounding worried.

From behind the bushes, Morgan realized her plan was about to go awry again. Trying to devise a plan centered on Vaike had its downsides, but if it came down to jeopardizing her scheme or her family's safety, the decision was an easy one to make. "Whoa, what are you doing, Vaike? That doesn't look safe at all," Morgan spoke up, emerging from behind the bushes.

The Shepherds and their friends spun, startled. "How did you get over there?" Robin asked, for he hadn't seen his daughter come through the doorway into the training yard.

"Oh, I took a shortcut," Morgan said dismissively.

"Over the wall?" Cordelia asked suspiciously.

"Through it," Chrom corrected with a sheepish smile, recognizing the shortcut Morgan was referring to, for his own daughter had used the same opening years ago in her attempt to save Exalt Emmeryn. Asides from Robin and Lucina, the rest of the Shepherds were unaware of the opening in the wall, and the rest of the gathering turned to Chrom, surprised. Naturally, the most pointed stare came from Sumia, who certainly did not like the idea of having secret entrances to the castle of which she was unaware.

"Never mind that," Morgan said hastily. "Vaike, if you're trying to suspend your Pegasus, we should probably back up a little bit, just to be careful."

"Definitely," Cordelia agreed before Vaike could say anything, and she hastily led both of her younger daughters to stand a safe distance away from the wooden monstrosity.

The other Shepherds followed suit, as Vaike shook his head in disgust and continued struggling a second rope and knot. "Why the hell is this rope so slippery?" Vaike grumbled, not noticing the dark marks of grease on his hands.

Finally, after several minutes, Vaike had assembled a makeshift pulley mechanism with which he hefted his sculpture up into the air. But he lost his grip at the last moment, just as he finished the knot. Gravity and the slack in the line overhead did its work, and the sculpture, now tied to the rope, slid towards the center, coming to a rest just over the campfire, with Vaike clinging to its legs desperately. "Ah! Help!" Vaike cried out, suspended several feet above the flames.

Vaike's plight was met by a chorus of groans and laughter, as Chrom, Robin, and Lucina rushed over to try to help their friend. "Vaike, try to swing yourself so you can jump to the side," Chrom suggested.

"No, don't!" Robin said immediately, as Vaike began to do just that. "If you shake too much you might snap the rope and drop yourself into the fire, and your project on top of you."

"Well, we have to do something," Lucina said, looking at Vaike nervously. If it wasn't for the potential danger, Vaike's predicament would've been extremely entertaining. A short distance away, Morgan bit her lip. Vaike and the wooden Pegasus falling into the flame would likely be even worse than her father had imagined.

"Ricken, do you still carry a wind tome on you?" Robin asked, after a moment of contemplation.

"Yep, I've got one right here," Ricken said, and he passed the tome over to Robin.

"Lucina, Chrom, can you two stand behind the fire and try to catch him? I'm going to try to push Vaike away from the fire. It might drop the sculpture but hopefully Vaike will be clear of it, and no one will get hurt," Robin explained. Chrom and Lucina nodded immediately and moved into position. "Vaike, let go when the wind strikes you."

"Will it hurt?" Vaike said nervously.

In answer, a controlled gust swept into him, throwing him aside. Robin's aim was perfect, and the Pegasus remained unscathed. "Good thinking, Robin," Chrom complimented, sounding relieved, after he and Lucina caught Vaike and helped him to his feet.

"Yeah! Thanks, buddy," Vaike said, happy to have both feet on the ground once more. He leapt forward and nearly crushed Robin in a large bear hug. "So, what do you guys think?" Vaike said, releasing Robin, who was gasping for air.

"I think this turned out way more dangerous than anyone expected," Lucina said, shaking her head. "At least it's over."

"Wait, you haven't declared a winner yet!" Vaike protested.

"And Morgan hasn't even showed us her project!" Cynthia added.

"Oh… umm, I don't know if that's such a good idea," Morgan said, hiding her smile. She had no intention of backing out now, but first she had to fish for Lucina's approval.

"Come on, Morgan. It can't be too much worse than what we've seen already," Lucina said, smiling reassuringly.

"Promise you won't be angry if it _is_ worse?" Morgan said, trying her best to look nervous.

"I promise," Lucina agreed.

Something about Morgan's uncharacteristically demure demeanor bothered Robin. But before he could interrupt, Morgan smiled and slipped her hand into her robe, retrieving a fire tome and confirming the silent alarms in Robin's mind. "Wait, Morgan!" Robin protested. But he was too late.

A small swirl of flames spiraled through the air, striking the rope from which Vaike's sculpture still hung. The oiled rope caught aflame immediately, and the flames rippled across the line, stopping at the tops of the trees which Morgan had carefully and thoroughly soaked ahead of time.

The flames managed to reach the sculpture before the burning through the rope. Morgan had done more than reapply wet paint so that the paper wrapping would stick; small paper packets were strewn along the sculpture, hidden beneath the patches of paper that had stuck, some containing explosive powder, others containing a strange powder Miriel had had imported all the way from Origin Peak that changed the color of flames.

Within seconds, Vaike's sculpture no longer resembled a misshapen Pegasus. Instead, the burning strips of paper streamed around it, shimmering with blue, green, and golden flames. There was too little of the explosive powder to do any real damage, but it made a series of loud cracking noises and caused the sculpture to vibrate violently. The transformed, burning art piece looked like a large, graceful flaming bird for a brief moment. Then the rope burned through, and it plummeted into the campfire below, feeding the campfire and causing it to shimmer with multicolored flames as well.

The gathering looked on, at a complete loss for words, awed by the spectacular display. Morgan fidgeted nervously. "So… you promised you wouldn't be angry, right?" Morgan said, smiling weakly.

Lucina's knees buckled, and she sat down, burying her face in her hands. Far from angry, she was trembling and fighting tears of laughter. Several other Shepherds, including Vaike, who was a good sport considering his own project had just gone up in flames, burst out laughing as well.

"That was amazing!" Cynthia cried excitedly, as she ran closer to the flames for a better look. Sumia reached out and grabbed her younger daughters just in time, as both of them made to follow their sister. The queen looked as impressed as anyone else, but knew better than to let her younger daughters play with fire.

"How did you do that!?" Ricken asked, wide-eyed. For all his experiments with fire magic, he had never seen anything quite like the shimmering multicolored flames Morgan had created, unless it was the impromptu fireworks show Robin had organized to attract the risen years ago on one of their expeditions. "What kind of tome did you use?"

"A fire tome, pilfered from the armory when she was in the castle," Lucina said, recovering at last. A hint of a smile still lingered, but she tried to appear stern nonetheless. "I should've guessed Morgan would know how to pick a lock."

At Lucina's words, Robin started laughing, too, for he had finally put the pieces together. Morgan was indeed a fast learner, but the armory wouldn't have had the components she needed for this stunt. Only one place did, and he had left his workshop unlocked and accessible for only a brief moment that morning. "She didn't have to," he corrected. "You've had this planned out for a while, haven't you, Morgan?"

Morgan flashed her father a victorious grin. "Did you figure it out?"

"Of course," Robin said. "You convinced Cynthia to make those javelins, so she would go to your mom for help, and leave the little girls with me in the library. Then you taught little Morgan how to undo knots and bribed Severa with that bracelet to play downstairs, so I'd be distracted long enough for you to steal the tome and the powders from my workshop. You were hiding in the corner of the upper floor when I went downstairs to look for Severa, right?"

"Am I that easy to read?" Morgan asked, looking a little disappointed.

Robin laughed. "Only after it was too late. Congratulations." Morgan preened visibly at the praise. Several of the other Shepherds looked impressed; seeing Robin outplayed so thoroughly was a seldom sight indeed.

"You said your workshop was supposed to be 'Morgan-proof'," Cordelia reminded, poking her husband gently in the ribs.

"Well, it's not _my_ fault our girls are geniuses like their mother," Robin said defensively. "You try designing a workshop to keep them out when they're working together." He turned to Morgan as Cordelia blushed. "Don't celebrate yet, Morgan. There's still consequences to be had."

"Well, no one got hurt," Morgan pointed out nervously. "And Lucina _did_ say she wouldn't be angry with me."

"No one's angry," Robin said, grinning. "But little Morgan knows her way around all the safeguards I put up in the library, now. I think it's only fair that you're responsible for her next time we need a babysitter."

"That's fair," Morgan agreed, relieved. Her younger self looked absolutely delighted, and wriggled free of her mother's hand to race over to the older Morgan's side.

Robin turned to Chrom. "Oh, Chrom… sorry, but depending on how much of the compounds Morgan used up, I might not have enough to put on that show that you and Sumia asked for," he apologized.

"I think we got our fire show anyways," Chrom replied, smiling.

Sumia agreed with a nod. "Thanks to Morgan and Vaike. That was beautiful." Vaike puffed out his chest proudly upon hearing her compliments. Morgan snuck a peek at Lucina, and was glad to see that she, too, was smiling again. Still, Morgan had a feeling she just guaranteed the ban on fire magic would stay in place a little longer, especially where she was concerned.

* * *

><p>The gathering remained in the training yard for another half an hour, until Robin and Cordelia excused themselves, as it was getting late and past time for the younger girls to be sleeping. Chrom and Sumia followed suit, as the younger Cynthia had already fallen asleep, cradled in her mother's arms, and the crowd began to disperse.<p>

As Robin and Cordelia made their way back to their home just outside the castle, their daughters following behind them, Robin spared his workshop projects, a brief, rueful thought. Progress was slow, but all things considered, he didn't mind that fact so much. His far more important, and equally unpredictable work was certainly moving fast enough, too fast for him to even keep up.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Disclaimer: The characters, the setting, and any cover images used belong to Intelligent Systems. I do not own Fire Emblem, or any part of IS.<em>**

**Special thanks to masterofthez, who suggested another story centered on Robin & his daughters in the library. I'm not sure it's exactly what you were expecting. I tried to work with just the three of them initially, but short of bringing Severa & Morgan to Calvin & Hobbes level brattiness, it was hard to find enough actual substance for a story. So I decided they needed some help from the older Morgan, too. ****Incidentally, while trying to draft ideas for a sequel story, I referenced an event that I wasn't planning on expanding on, which turned out to be a perfect theme for your suggestion, so here it is.**


	8. Paralogue 7: Of Schemers and

**Paralogue 7: Of Schemers and Dark Whispers**

"I'm tellin' ya! I saw 'em! Plain as day!"

"I thought you said you saw them at _night_."

"I did! Somethin' wrong with your bleedin' ears?"

"How could it be plain as day in the middle of the night?"

"Blast it, it be just a sayin'!"

The old farmer frowned and struck an exasperated pose, with his hands on his hips and his chest puffed out indignantly. His conversational partner, a finely dressed young official who was visiting the small village, looked equally exasperated.

"Let me get this straight," the young official began. "You're telling me that three nights ago, you happened to walk by the old abandoned mansion that's nearly a mile outside of town. The mansion, which, according to you, has been uninhabited for two decades on account of being 'haunted'. And in the mansion, you saw ghosts."

"Not ghosts! Those risen things! The dead, walkin' and moanin'!" the old farmer loudly corrected. "Marchin' back and forth down the ol' mansion's hallways like they hadn't a care in the world!"

"Describe them," the official said promptly.

"Well… they was long," the old farmer began. "And dusty and covered in them cobwebs."

The official raised his eyebrows. "_Long_? Surely you mean _tall_."

"Eh?" the farmer asked, confused. "No taller than any other hallway I reckon."

"Not the hallways! The risen!" the official groaned.

"Oh!" the farmer said, with sudden understanding. "Them risen were purple. And had weapons… lots of weapons!"

"Was the mansion lit? I thought it was uninhabited," the official asked, frowning.

"Nah, but the moon was shinin' bright that night," the farmer explained.

The official let out a frustrated sigh. This was utterly ridiculous. No one had seen the risen since the fell dragon was defeated, supposedly for good. He wasn't sure he believed the story about Chrom's loyal tactician defeating death itself to land the killing blow on Grima, but Grima was certainly gone, and the tactician was definitely still alive, so the official supposed it was as clear of a story as he was ever going to hear.

Not that it really mattered. But once in a while, he wondered why the common folk were so willing to pounce on every shadow of truth, and spin the rest of the tale themselves. Like this old farmer, who had probably only seen a wild animal prowling about at night. Or perhaps it was just the wind blowing into the old mansion's drapes.

Then again, it wasn't _just_ commoners who were prone to exaggeration, the official remembered grimly. As a young nobleman and promising student, he had been granted this position working for his province's duke. Duke Hyperion was quite as bad as his subjects, and even worse in some ways, for he often had no idea what he was talking about at all.

"You know, actually, you're right," the official decided, on impulse. The farmer, who had just been about to give up hope of the visiting official ever believing him, gaped. Taking no note of it, the official continued. "You're a clever man, I'm sure you saw what you saw. I'll inform the duke as soon as possible, but I'm afraid that's all I can promise for now. But I'm fairly certain the duke will be _very_ interested." The official smiled widely as he finished.

"Thank you, sir, thank you!" the farmer said gratefully, shaking his hand profusely.

"No thanks are necessary," the official said politely. "Have a nice day, sir."

As the official returned to his entourage and instructed them to start heading back to the province's capital, he smiled. It was probably nothing important, after all, but at least it would hold onto the duke's attention for a few days. If he and his fellow civil servants were _really_ lucky, it would even get the duke out of the province for a few days, so that some real work would get done.

And maybe, just maybe, it would be the straw that broke the horse's back, to use an old saying. It was no secret that the exalt was not fond of Duke Hyperion, and enough trivial incidents like this could possibly open up a new vacancy in the local hierarchy.

* * *

><p>Robin set down his book with a sigh, noticing that the sand had run out in his hourglass, indicating it was probably time to check on Morgan. He got up from his seat by the workbench, and after a quick stretch, he reached for the latch on the workshop's door.<p>

So far, the day had been relatively quiet, which had come as a relief. Then again, it was easier looking after just one of the two toddlers; initially, Cordelia had meant to take both of them to the market, along with little Lucina. But upon learning that the older Morgan planned to drop by the library in the afternoon, the younger Morgan immediately lost all interest in the market.

She didn't cry or argue or throw a tantrum, and for that, Robin was glad. Both of his daughters had always been remarkably well-behaved, despite all the warnings in his books about dealing with young children. But the sad expression was too much for her loving father to bear. Or perhaps Robin had lost sight of his sanity for a moment. Either way, he volunteered to look after her and let her stay in the library instead.

"At least so far you've been a complete angel," Robin said quietly, as he opened the door and stepped out. "And once Morgan's here, she'll…"

Robin was unable to finish the thought, as he noticed a tall, plain white wall standing before him, less than three feet away, stretching from wall to wall and trapping him against the workshop door. A wall that most certainly had not been there this morning. He closed his eyes. "This is _not_ happening," he muttered. And then he counted to ten, under his breath, before daring to look again.

The wall was still there.

Robin buried his face in his hands.

"_Why_, Naga? Why would you do this to me?"

* * *

><p>"Frederick, what time is it?" Chrom demanded, fidgeting uncomfortably.<p>

"About an hour past noon, milord," Frederick replied, hiding a smile. He knew that Chrom's impatience and discomfort had nothing to do with the fine and regal silver and dark blue outfit Sumia had chosen for him today, nor the throne. Though Chrom would've sooner been wearing a traveler's tunic, or better yet, a suit of armor, even he couldn't argue that either the throne or the royal garments were uncomfortable.

But neither did anything to alleviate boredom. Chrom's face fell, knowing that, barring other circumstances, he was supposed to remain available for his subjects until late afternoon, at the earliest. But then his face brightened. "Wait, Frederick! Yesterday, I promised I'd spar with Lucina. I can't be breaking promises to my daughter, can I?"

"I don't know if I would label your 'training' sessions with little Lucina as sparring," Frederick said. "And I'm sure she would be willing to wait, especially seeing as she's visiting the marketplace right now with Severa and Lady Cordelia."

"Damn it," Chrom groaned. "Maybe I should reign in her spending a little bit."

"Our exalt should not be using his daughter as an excuse to escape his responsibilities," Frederick admonished gently. "And besides, I don't believe either of the girls purchased anything at all during their last three trips to the market."

Chrom sighed, disappointed. "Why am I even here, Frederick? There's nothing happening around Ylisse at this time of the year! Most of the roads will be closed until the spring thaw, the fields are pretty much barren, and Lucina and the Shepherds have practically scared the banditry out of potential brigands. The only person even seeking an audience the past week was that old lady who wanted me to help her find her cat!" Chrom protested. "Even Duke Hyperion hasn't had anything to complain about for almost a year now!"

Frederick shrugged. "It was _you_ who said that it is paramount for a ruler to be available to his people as often as possible, no matter how infrequently they come to him for aid."

Chrom sighed. "Maybe you could fetch Robin for me and we could at least play a game of cards while I'm sitting here doing nothing."

"Robin has his own work to attend to. Besides, I believe he is looking after little Morgan today," Frederick said.

"You can bring little Morgan, too. Even tome stackers is better than doing absolutely nothing," Chrom muttered.

"I believe Morgan specifically pleaded with her father to let her stay in the library," Frederick pointed out.

"Fine, then _you_ can play cards with me. Or tome stackers. Or maybe we can build a bonfire," Chrom demanded.

"I'm afraid I cannot afford to play games while I am on duty," Frederick said insufferably. "And I'm fairly certain the throne room is not appropriate for bonfires." There was a loud series of knocks on the door, announcing a guest. "Besides, it seems you have a visitor," Frederick added.

Chrom could not disguise the relief on his face when Kellam, who had recently rejoined the Ylissean Royal Guard, poked his head into the room to check if Chrom was available. "Yes, Kellam? Who is it?" Chrom asked eagerly.

"Milord, Duke Hyperion requests an audience," Kellam said hesitantly, knowing Chrom's opinion of Duke Hyperion.

Less than a minute ago, Chrom thought he was bored enough that he was ready to see just about _anyone_. But at the mention of Duke Hyperion, Chrom's face fell into his hands.

"_Why_, Naga? Why would you do this to me?"

* * *

><p>Robin stared at the blank white wall, his mind spinning frantically. He knew what these were, and he had <em>deliberately<em> kept them away from _both_ Morgans, with good reason. At the moment, they weren't even supposed to be in Ylisstol. Robin really had no idea how this had happened. But there was a more pressing need, which was the missing toddler, hidden somewhere behind the canvas-like, yet immovable material.

"Morgan, where are you?" he asked gently, hoping desperately that the little girl hadn't gotten herself into too much mischief. A soft, girlish giggle did little to ease his nervousness. "Morgan, can you please turn it off?"

"No," the little girl replied happily.

Robin waited patiently, for he had little choice, his gaze flickering back and forth along the wall. After what seemed like forever, but was really only about two minutes, a portion of the wall on his left disappeared, exactly as he had expected. He ran towards the opening and stepped through, then groaned again. Morgan had not just built a straight wall, as he had hoped, for now, there was a wall ahead, to his left, and to his right, forming three-quarters of a box.

Once again, he waited patiently for some of the walls to disappear. Only this time, when the strange walls shifted, the wall that had let him through returned, while the other three remain unchanged, leaving him trapped.

"This is not funny, Morgan!" Robin said loudly, growing frustrated.

The only reply he received was another enthusiastic giggle, indicating that at least one person was finding his predicament amusing.

"Enough," Robin muttered grimly. He then raised his voice again. "If these vanishing walls aren't turned off and put away _very soon_, someone is _never_ spending the morning here in the library again," he warned.

There was a small gasp of horror. Robin could then hear light footsteps, romping about the top floor as Morgan searched for the device that Robin knew accompanied the vanishing walls. Then the footsteps stopped, and Robin heard another gasp. He sighed as he realized what had happened, and wasn't surprised in the slightest when Morgan began crying a moment later.

"You're stuck now, too, aren't you?" Robin asked dryly. When the crying didn't stop, Robin sighed again. "Everything's going to be okay, Morgan," he said comfortingly. "Just tell Daddy where you put the device so we can get it turned off, okay?"

* * *

><p>"Good afternoon, Duke Hyperion," Chrom said politely, trying not to let his distaste show as the weedy-looking nobleman approached his throne.<p>

"And to you, my exalt," Duke Hyperion replied, dipping into a bow. "It has been far too long since I've found the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of Ylisstol in person."

Chrom winced, hating the meaningless small talk that accompanied every conversation with Ylissean nobles. "It has," Chrom said agreeably. "What brings you to Castle Ylisse, my old friend? The roads are treacherous at this time of the year. No small thing should take a duke so far from his home, given the dreadful weather," he added meaningfully.

The sarcastic reference to the duke's frequent, trivial requests went complete over his head, and Duke Hyperion nodded quickly. "Of course, milord. I would not have come if it were not the most urgent of emergencies!"

"Please, do tell," Chrom encouraged, inwardly stifling a groan.

"The risen have returned, milord!" Duke Hyperion said, his voice rising with his excitement.

All annoyance and frustration left Chrom, to be replaced with alarm and a slight shudder of fear. "The risen? The undead monsters that we often saw during our war with Grima?" Chrom demanded urgently.

"Indeed, milord," Duke Hyperion confirmed. "One of my promising young officials brought the alarming news to me a few days ago, and so I have come to Ylisstol, as swiftly as possible, to beg your aid!"

"Pardon my interruption, Duke Hyperion," Frederick interceded politely. "But what news precisely did your assistant bring to you?"

"An old farmer from one the northern villages reported seeing the risen gathering around an old abandoned mansion," the duke explained quickly.

"Has anyone been injured by the risen so far?" Chrom asked worriedly.

"Not as far as I am aware, milord," Duke Hyperion admitted.

"Can you be certain that this is not a hoax of some sort?" Frederick asked. "The risen have not been seen in years, and our trusted sages have assured us that the magic that once created the risen no longer exists."

Duke Hyperion proved surprisingly reasonable. "I cannot be certain," the duke admitted. "But the risk is too great to ignore, if the reports were not exaggerated. I thought it best that the exalt be informed as soon as possible."

"Thank you," Chrom said, genuinely grateful. "Duke Hyperion, if there's any more information you can provide about the mansion, it could prove invaluable in our investigation."

* * *

><p>Robin stared at the wall, waiting patiently. The wall behind him vanished, but he took no notice of it – that particular wall had reappeared, disappeared, then reappeared again while he was waiting for the wall ahead of him to disappear. "Are you still with me, Morgan?" Robin called.<p>

"Yes," the little girl replied, with a soft sniffle.

"Good. Don't worry. I'm almost there," Robin promised. "Just two more walls if I keep going this way, right?"

"I think so," Morgan said, sounding unsure.

"Alright. Don't worry about it. Everything's fine. There's nothing to worry about," Robin reassured. He knew he was being redundant, but at least it was keeping Morgan calm.

"Robin? What is all this?"

While Morgan was reasonably calm, upon hearing his wife calling to him, Robin was certainly anything but calm. Robin's heart skipped a beat when he heard Cordelia's worried voice, drifting over the maze of partitions, as if to make a mockery of his previous claim. For a brief moment, he wondered if he could just remain silent. Or maybe he could start working his way back and hide behind the partitions.

Any hope of escaping unnoticed were dashed a second later. "Mommy!" Morgan cried enthusiastically, upon hearing her mother's voice.

"Morgan? Are you in there somewhere? Where's Daddy?" Cordelia asked gently, hiding the alarm in her voice.

"I'm right here, Cordelia. Don't worry, everything's under control," Robin said.

"Is that why it looks like a maze appeared out of thin air in your library?" Cordelia asked dryly. She seemed surprisingly calm.

"Yes… yes it's all part of… the plan," Robin invented wildly. "To… uhh… umm…"

"Is this strange device part of your 'plan' too?" Cordelia interrupted, grinning knowingly even though he couldn't see her.

"Wait, the control box is there?" Robin asked. "The one with the candles and the glass tube?"

"And the bright red lever," Cordelia confirmed.

"Could you pull that lever please?" Robin begged.

A moment later, all the partitions reappeared simultaneously. Many of the thin walls collapsed harmlessly, given their light weight, but some of the others had been carefully placed and supported each other, remaining upright. Still, now that the magic was no longer holding them in place, Robin was able to push them aside.

Then several of them tumbled down upon Robin, as little Morgan rushed to her father's side, accidentally toppling every nearby wall. "Daddy!"

"That is a pretty interesting plan," Cordelia teased, as she moved several of the partitions aside so she could get a better look at her husband and daughter. Little Severa and Lucina both stood behind her, gaping at the humongous mess.

"Yeah… no. It was an awful one," Robin admitted. "But it shouldn't have been. I made sure neither of the Morgans knew about this project since I _knew_ it was going to end badly if they found out about it. I specifically sent the working prototype back to Ferox with Tharja. I have no idea how it ended up back here in the library."

"Tharja gave it to me!" little Morgan said happily. Both her parents stared at her.

"Tharja was here?" Robin asked blankly.

The toddler. "She said she had a new toy for you," little Morgan explained, pointing at the control box lying upon the reading table. "I told her you were busy, and she said I could play with it if I wanted to. Am I in trouble?" she asked timidly.

"Of course not, sweetheart," Cordelia said, stepping forward and giving Morgan a hug. "Just make sure you ask me first before playing with new toys, okay?"

"Even if Daddy gives them to me? Or Morgan?" little Morgan asked.

"_Especially_ if they come from Daddy or Morgan," Cordelia said, laughing lightly.

"By the way, you can't tell Morgan about this, okay?" Robin said hastily.

"Why not?" little Morgan asked, turning to her father, her expression one of wide-eyed innocence.

"Because then she will want to play with it, too, but it's too dangerous," Cordelia explained quickly. The little redheaded girl nodded slowly, understanding.

"Okay. I promise," little Morgan said solemnly.

Robin began gathering the partitions started stacking them neatly on the table beside the box. "Hello, Severa. Hello, Lucina," he said, smiling at the two little girls as he walked by. He couldn't help but notice that Lucina's eyes looked a little bit red and puffy.

"Hi!" both girls answered cheerily.

"So, why are you three back so soon?" Robin asked Cordelia, as she moved to help him with the scattered walls.

"Lucina looks like she might be coming down with a cold," Cordelia explained.

"I'm fine!" little Lucina protested. "I'm not sick!"

"Come on, Lucy," little Severa argued, though in a friendly tone. "Your eyes are all red. Let's get you some soup."

"I don't want herb soup," the princess muttered unhappily.

"Then we'll find you some chicken soup. If your cold doesn't get any worse, your mom won't give you any herb soup, alright?" Cordelia assured.

"Promise?" little Lucina pleaded.

"I promise," Cordelia agreed, smiling. She turned back to Robin. "Anyways, I was just about to head to the castle when I saw Frederick heading out. He said Chrom wants to see us, so I thought I'd drop by and check on you and little Morgan myself. Speaking of which, I thought Morgan was coming by today?"

"She wasn't supposed to be here until later," Robin explained, as he placed the last partition on the stack. "Give me a moment to put this stuff away, and I'll leave her a note."

"Sure. Make sure you lock your workshop," Cordelia reminded.

"I will," Robin promised, cringing as he realized he had not locked his workshop when he stepped out to check on little Morgan and discovered the maze.

As Robin set the vanishing walls and the control box down on his workbench, he did a quick scan to make sure everything was accounted for. Satisfied that everything was in its proper place and that nothing was missing, he stepped out, shutting the door tightly and locking it behind him. "Alright, let's go."

"Come on, girls," Cordelia said, beckoning to little Severa and Lucina, while little Morgan had already clasped her father's hand tightly.

Robin smiled as he saw Lucina trying to hide her sniffling. He couldn't blame her. Sumia was a huge fan of a particular blend of herbs that was undeniably effective in quelling colds, but had a rather _peculiar_ taste. Hopefully, the little princess would be spared that fate tonight.

He then thought of the first cold he had suffered that could remember, about a week after Chrom's wedding. Incidentally, on that same day, he had had his first real, two-way conversation with their friend, Tharja. Though he was a little bit annoyed with her prank in encouraging little Morgan to play with the vanishing walls, it was still a marked improvement over their peculiar relationship from when they had first met.

* * *

><p><em>On one hand, Robin was pretty sure he should at least tell someone where he was. On the other, he wasn't exactly sure he could make out of bed. He had read about colds before, but couldn't remember ever having one himself. Now that he was experiencing the symptoms, he wondered if perhaps he was misinterpreting the signs. Maybe it wasn't a cold, after all. Maybe he was just dying, given how weak his entire body felt, the warm sweat covering his damp forehead, his rapid coughing fits, and the sharp pains in his strangely dry throat. He did manage to climb out of bed for a moment, but it felt impossibly chilly for an early autumn morning, and he immediately sank back into his sheets, wrapping himself up tightly. He thought to fall asleep instead, but somehow, he couldn't ignore the discomfort long enough to do that, either.<em>

_He heard the creak of his door opening. "Hello?" Robin rasped._

_"You don't seem to be feeling well."_

_"I'm not," Robin admitted, his throat hurting with every word. His eyelids felt heavy, and he couldn't quite bring himself to turn and look at the newcomer. Instead, Robin tried to place his visitor's voice, which seemed both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. It was definitely a woman speaking, but the low, dry voice certainly didn't belong to Lissa or Cordelia, who were the two women most likely to check on him if he was to be missing for too long. Only then did it occur to him that he had no idea what time it was, even._

_He felt a cool hand pressed against his forehead momentarily, and he instinctively shrank away from the chilling touch. "Don't worry. It's just a common cold."_

_Robin's eyes snapped open as he finally recognized the voice. "T-Tharja?" Robin stammered. "What are you doing here?"_

_Tharja giggled in a fantastically creepy manner. "I'm here to take care of you, of course. Don't worry, Robin."_

_"Don't," Robin said weakly. "I don't want to get you sick, too."_

_"Oh there's no need to worry about that," Tharja said, with a knowing grin. "Just relax, my love."_

_Robin gulped audibly, not liking where this was headed. "Listen, Tharja," Robin began. "I'm sure I'll be fine… really."_

_"I know you'll be fine. I'm here for you now," Tharja said. "Just go to sleep, Robin," she said softly._

_Robin was about to protest further, but Tharja's last sentence seemed to drag out unnaturally, and the world seemed to grow blurrier as she spoke. "No… fine… don't… want…" Robin mumbled, his thoughts a discordant jumble._

_The door swung open again._

_"Robin? Are you… oh!" Cordelia said, as she stepped into his room. "Tharja, what are you doing here?"_

_Tharja seemed annoyed with the interruption. "Robin has a cold," she explained coolly. "I thought I'd take care of him."_

_"Oh," Cordelia said. "Thank you, I guess. But I can take care of him," she volunteered._

_Tharja shook her head. "It's not an ordinary cold, but one caused by a curse. And curses happen to be my field of expertise," she reminded, a dangerous tone creeping into her voice._

_Cordelia's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I'm sure you'd treat a cursed cold the same way you'd treat a normal one," she said._

_"Not quite. You'd have to break the curse, first," Tharja insisted._

_"Haven't you broken it already?" Cordelia asked, feigning surprise. "Don't worry, I can take care of him from here," she said insistently, as Tharja mumbled something ominously under her breath._

_Tharja stayed put for several seconds longer, trying to ignore Cordelia's rather pointed glare, but when it became clear Cordelia wasn't going to give in, Tharja gave an indignant huff before stalking out._

_"Thanks," Robin mumbled softly, as soon as he heard the door close behind Tharja._

_"No problem," Cordelia replied, with a worried smile. "How are you feeling?"_

_"Not so good," Robin admitted. "You shouldn't be here, either. I don't want to get you sick, too."_

_Cordelia ignored him and kneeled by his bed, pressing the back of her hand against his forehead, the same way Tharja had a few minutes ago. Given his fever, her skin felt just as cold, but somehow her touch felt gentler and more comforting. "Someone has to take care of you. Would you prefer I let Tharja look after you, instead?" she teased._

_Robin shook his head weakly. "Cordelia, we've only been a couple for a week. I don't even know if it's official. You don't need to get yourself sick taking care of me."_

_"You're delirious, Robin. Seeing as all of our friends know already, I'm fairly certain 'it's' official now. And we were friends for longer than that, remember?" Cordelia reminded. "Besides, I won't get sick. I don't think you're contagious."_

_"Really?" Robin murmured._

_"Really. Just close your eyes and try to relax. I'll be right back, alright? I'm just going to go grab you some medicine and a wet rag," Cordelia said._

_Robin did as he was told. Maybe he had fallen asleep, because it seemed like only seconds later that Cordelia pressed a damp, cool towel to his forehead. "Here, drink this," Cordelia said, offering him a small mug of some sort of warm tea._

_"Thank you," Robin said automatically, as she helped him sit up in his bed. He took a sip of the warm liquid and nearly spat it back out immediately._

_"Sorry. I know it's pretty bitter," Cordelia apologized, noting his reaction. "It's Sumia's favorite cure for colds. It tastes terrible but it'll have you feeling better in no time."_

_In an effort to spare her feelings, Robin tried to gulp down the rest of the liquid quickly, ignoring the taste as best he could._

_"Huh. You must be feeling pretty awful if you actually managed to finish it," Cordelia said thoughtfully, eyeing the empty mug. "Last time I was sick and Sumia tried to make me drink it, I think I only managed to get a single sip down."_

_Robin laid back and closed his eyes, clutching the empty mug in his hands until Cordelia carefully tugged it free. "Do you want some water?" Cordelia asked kindly._

_Robin shook his head. "I'm fine. Thank you." He wasn't sure what exactly was in the medicine Cordelia had offered him, but it seemed potent – much of the pain was gone and he felt strangely drowsy. It became surprisingly difficult to stay awake, given that the discomfort had been keeping him from sleeping._

_Eventually, Robin surrendered to his exhaustion, and he only barely heard Cordelia whispering that she'd be right back._

* * *

><p><em>When Robin awoke again, the pain and most of the discomfort had disappeared entirely. He still felt terribly tired, and his throat felt parched, but the sharp, stinging pain was gone. With a soft moan, he forced himself to a sitting position.<em>

_"Hey. Feeling better?" Tharja asked glumly._

_Robin nearly jumped when he heard her voice. "Oh… hello, Tharja. What brings you to my room?" he asked politely, trying not to sound overly concerned. His memories from the morning were a little bit fuzzy, but he vaguely remembered Tharja breaking into his room once already, and her words and demeanor had seemed a bit frightening at the time._

_Tharja grimaced. "I came here to apologize. And to take the curse off, too."_

_"Curse?" Robin asked, confused. Then he realized what she must have been referring to. "Wait, you cursed me!?"_

_"Yeah… I'm sorry, Robin," Tharja said, sighing heavily._

_Robin almost shouted out the first question that came to mind, but given Tharja's behavior that morning, and what he had been told about Tharja, he thought he knew the answer already. He bit back his next comment too. He was definitely annoyed and more than a little bit angry, but at the same time, Tharja was plainly already dejected enough. And besides, it was always better not to push hex-happy dark mages too far. "Look, Tharja… about Cordelia…"_

_Tharja shook her head. "Don't worry about it," she said, heading him off. "I'm sure you two will be happy together."_

_Robin grimaced. She sounded sincere, but it still had an ominous ring to it. "You aren't going to curse her too, are you?" Robin pleaded._

_Tharja spared him an odd look. Then she smiled, and for once, her expression seemed genuinely warm. "You two really are a perfect match. She came to me a few minutes ago, worried that I'd hex you again." Then the Plegian woman's expression drooped again. "I was getting desperate, but that's no excuse. You and the Shepherds have always been welcoming to me… some friend I've been. I'm sorry."_

_"Alright. Apology accepted," Robin said with a shrug. "Thank you, Tharja."_

_"Just like that?" Tharja said, looking startled._

_"We all do dumb things once in a while," Robin said, smiling as he thought of his own misadventure beside Cordelia in their final battle with King Gangrel, caused solely by his misguided attempt at matchmaking. "No harm done, right?"_

_"Nothing permanent," Tharja confirmed. "You might still be a bit tired for a while, though, so you may want to get some more sleep."_

_"I will. Thanks," Robin said, nodding. Tharja stood to leave, but she only went a few steps before turning back. "What is it?" Robin asked curiously, noting that she seemed to have a question on the tip of her tongue._

_"Why her?" Tharja finally asked, after struggling with her thoughts for several moments longer._

_Robin frowned as he laid back upon his pillow. Truthfully, he hadn't thought about it too deeply before, and it wasn't a topic he was particularly comfortable talking about. "It's hard to explain," he said evasively._

_Tharja laughed sadly. "Not really. She's beautiful."_

_Robin shook his head. "Cordelia's beautiful alright. If you ask me, she's the most beautiful woman I've ever laid my eyes upon. But then again, I've heard other Shepherds say the same thing about you, Tharja. And that's not the point, anyways. I can't explain it since I don't really understand it myself. But I don't _need_ to understand it. I'm happy when I'm with her, and she seems happy when she's with me. And that's good enough for both of us."_

_Tharja seemed a little doubtful still, but she nodded acceptingly. "No hard feelings?"_

_"None. Like I said, everyone suffers from errors in judgment once in a while," Robin assured._

_"Everyone except you, maybe, Mister Genius Tactician," Tharja said teasingly._

_Robin laughed, for it was exactly his own mistakes that led him to say what he did. "Believe me, I make as many mistakes as anyone else. Maybe more," he said. When Tharja didn't look convinced, he decided to elaborate a little. "Remember our battle with King Gangrel?"_

_Tharja nodded slowly, but before Robin could say anything more, the door flew open once again, allowing Cordelia into the room, shortly followed by Lissa._

_"Hello, Robin!" Lissa said brightly, as she followed Cordelia into the room. "Oh. Hi, Tharja! What are you doing here?" she added, though Robin couldn't help but feel the princess's surprise seemed a little bit exaggerated._

_"I just dropped by to apologize to Robin," Tharja said stiffly. "He should be fine in a few hours, after he gets some rest," she added, glancing at Cordelia apologetically._

_Cordelia nodded, accepting her explanation easily. "Thank you, Tharja," she said. The dark mage then excused herself._

_"When did you figure out it wasn't an ordinary cold?" Robin asked curiously, as soon as Tharja was gone,_

_"The moment I saw Tharja standing over you," Cordelia admitted._

_"You didn't tell Chrom, did you?" Robin asked uneasily. He glanced at Lissa, wondering if he had just unintentionally spread the story a little bit too far, but Lissa didn't look surprised. He then realized Cordelia must have told the princess already._

_"No, just me," Lissa said. "And I won't tell anyone."_

_"Thanks," Robin said, nodding appreciatively. "It looks like she feels bad enough about it already, and I'd hate to make it worse."_

_Cordelia rolled her eyes. "She cursed you, Robin."_

_"I noticed," Robin said with a sigh. "But I don't think she'll do it again. Let's just not make a huge deal out of it. Please?"_

_"You're too nice for your own good," Lissa admonished lightly. Then she grinned impishly. "Or is it just because it's Tharja? She _is_ rather pretty, after all." She turned to Cordelia. "You'd better keep a close eye on him, Cordelia."_

_"What? No!" Robin protested immediately. To his relief, both Lissa and Cordelia laughed._

_"Don't worry," Cordelia replied. "You heard what he said earlier." She winked at Robin, who blushed when he realized what she meant._

_"How long were you two eavesdropping on us?" Robin demanded._

_"Long enough," Cordelia replied coyly. "Get some sleep, Robin. I'll come wake you up in time for dinner."_

* * *

><p>"Robin? Are you alright?" Cordelia asked, interrupting his thoughts.<p>

"I'm fine," Robin replied quickly. "Why do you ask?"

"Because our daughter has been trying to get your attention for a full minute, now," Cordelia said, with an amused smile.

At her words, Robin noticed that little Morgan was tugging silently, but insistently at his hand. When she saw him looking down, she smiled wordlessly, her eyes sparkling enthusiastically. "Hello, Morgan," Robin said, returning her smile.

"Hello!" little Morgan replied happily. Satisfied that her father had noticed her at last, she turned her gaze downward instead, focusing intently on the patterned rug and trying to step carefully between the lines.

* * *

><p>"Sorry, she didn't seem hungry and we weren't sure it was safe to leave her in dining hall," Cordelia apologized hastily, holding little Morgan's hand tightly, as soon as they reached the throne room.<p>

"That's fine," Chrom said. "But wasn't Lucina supposed to be with you?"

Cordelia shook her head. "Lucina seemed to be a bit tired, so we came back early. She's with Severa in the dining room right now."

"Frederick said you wanted to see us, Chrom," Robin said. "Did something happen?"

Chrom nodded uneasily. "Duke Hyperion dropped by. According to him, the risen have returned."

"Risen?" Robin gasped.

Cordelia, in contrast, didn't seem alarmed in the slightest. "Chrom, this is Duke Hyperion we're talking about," she reminded.

"I know," Chrom agreed reluctantly. "I'm pretty sure it's just a false alarm. Still, his claim seems too serious to be ignored."

Robin nodded in agreement. "Did you want us to go check it out?"

Chrom shook his head quickly. "There's no need for that, I imagine. I just wanted a second opinion before I ask Lucina and the Shepherds to look into it."

"Why didn't you just run it by her instead?" Cordelia asked curiously.

"Because Lucina would say yes in a heartbeat, despite the weather making a mess of the roads," Chrom said, smiling. "The Shepherds seem to be growing restless, lately. Even though bandit activity has more or less died out recently, at least during the summer, they can still enjoy their regular patrols."

Robin nodded. "I'm pretty sure you and Cordelia are right. It's probably a false alarm. But even if the risen really are back, I'm sure Lucina and the Shepherds can handle them without much of a fuss. The bigger problem would be _how_ the risen returned, and we can burn that bridge _if_ we come to it."

Chrom seemed visibly relieved, as if Robin's approval had lifted a heavy burden. "Thanks, Robin. I'll go let Lucina know, then."

* * *

><p>Just as Chrom had predicted, Lucina agreed to the plan immediately. Her quick acceptance made Chrom a little bit uneasy, but she shot him a pleading look as he was just beginning to second guess the plan, and just like that, the matter was settled. The very next morning, Lucina headed to the castle courtyard, where the Shepherds were supposed to be gathered alongside their supply caravan. Instead, there were only a pair of Pegasus knights.<p>

"Cynthia? Severa? What are you two doing here?" Lucina asked, surprised to see the two of them waiting for her instead of the Shepherds. Lucina often asked the Pegasus knights to tag along when they needed scouts or messengers on hand, but she had decided against it for this particular mission, seeing as the risen sightings were concentrated around a mansion, instead of over a wide stretch of wilderness.

"I'm the captain of the Pegasus knights! I have to be at your side to protect you, remember?" Cynthia said enthusiastically.

Lucina opened her mouth to protest, and to remind her sister that she hardly needed protecting, and would have the rest of the Shepherds beside her, when Severa interrupted. "And I'm here to protect you from Cynthia in case she starts getting in the way," Severa said, winking. "Seriously though. Did you really think Cynthia and I would let you and the Shepherds go off and investigate something this serious alone?"

"C'mon, Lucy!" Cynthia begged, unfazed by Severa's verbal jab.

"Sure. Welcome aboard," Lucina agreed easily. Truth be told, she had considered inviting them along anyways and had only decided against it because both Severa and Cynthia disliked the cold weather. But deep down, she knew that no climate would possibly keep either Cynthia or Severa from following her into potential danger. "But where's everyone else?"

"I'm here!" Morgan cried, as she sprinted through the castle gates, panting. Lucina, Severa, and Cynthia all gaped at the new accessory Morgan had added to her normal outfit.

"Why are you wearing a mask?" Severa asked, perplexed.

"Why are you wearing _Lucy's_ mask?" Cynthia added, recognizing the disguise.

"And where did you even get it?" Lucina demanded. The mask had been destroyed after Lucina's intervention to save Exalt Emmeryn, but her father had had it repaired on impulse. Since Lucina hadn't been too interested in wearing it again, it sat in the armory, gathering dust for a few years until Chrom hung it up as a wall decoration in the new conference room.

"I asked Uncle Chrom to borrow it," Morgan explained, as she caught her breath. "And look!" she added proudly, as she pulled back her robe to reveal not one, but two swords hanging on her belt. The new one looked identical to Lucina's.

"My father lent you his sword!?" Lucina gasped, dumbfounded.

"Well… yeah!" Morgan said.

Severa hid her face in her hands. "Dare I ask why?" she asked hesitantly, her voice muffled.

"Well, the winter solstice is coming up," Morgan explained.

"What does that have to do with borrowing Lucy's mask and Dad's sword?" Cynthia asked, puzzled.

"The annual Masquerade Festival is held on the winter solstice, isn't it?" Morgan pointed out.

"Morgan, we'll be back at least a week before the Masquerade Festival, and even if we weren't, we're not traveling all the way to the northeast part of Hyperion to attend a festival," Lucina reminded.

"Oh I know that," Morgan said immediately. "But I was thinking about it… it's too much of a coincidence, isn't it? The Masquerade Festival coming up, and suddenly people are seeing the risen again, but no one's been hurt so far? I bet there's some sort of connection there. It's probably not real risen, but a bunch of pranksters dressed as risen!"

"That actually makes a surprising amount of sense," Severa noted thoughtfully. "I wonder why Dad didn't think of that already… but wait, what does this have to do with you borrowing the mask and sword?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Morgan answered, her eyes shining eagerly. "Maybe when we catch up to the goofballs behind all the false alarm, we can hold a costume party together!"

"Costume party," Lucina echoed weakly. Severa seemed lost for words entirely.

"Yep!" Morgan said happily. "Look, I've even got a bottle of the special hair dye that Anna sells up at the Feroxi springs. The color is so close to yours."

"You're planning to go to a costume party dressed as Lucy?" Severa asked faintly.

"Of course not! I'm going as Hero-King Marth!" Morgan corrected.

Once again, Severa was left speechless. Cynthia, too, seemed to be struggling with thoughts, but a quick glance told Lucina that Cynthia was probably trying to decide what costume to bring along with her. Then another thought occurred to Lucina. "Wait, is _that_ why everyone's late? Did you tell everyone to bring costumes!?" Lucina asked disbelievingly.

"Behold, the master of swordplay and sorcery, and the insurmountable guru of all things strategy!" a voice boomed dramatically. Lucina's heart sank as she turned toward the castle gate in time to see Owain marching into the courtyard wearing Robin's robe, and carrying a tome along with his sword. Only, it seemed Owain couldn't find any spell tomes, for he had settled upon a dictionary instead.

"No," Severa said immediately, recovering her voice first. "First of all, Dad does _not _talk like that! Secondly, I've had enough of that _stupid_ robe!" Severa insisted, storming toward Owain, who backed away fearfully. But she was too fast for him, and she seized the robe's collar. Owain gave in fairly quickly and surrendered the robe and tome without too much of a fuss, just as Stahl showed up wearing a chef's hat. "And you are _not_ going dressed as Castle Ylisse's head chef," Severa added, snatching the hat off the knight's head despite his protests.

It didn't take too long to convince Stahl that there wasn't actually going to be a costume party. When Vaike arrived a few minutes later, they learned that he had been planning to go dressed as himself, so thankfully there weren't any problems there. In the end, they were only delayed half an hour as Lucina and Severa set off to return Chrom's sword, Robin's robe, and the head chef's hat. It turned out the latter two had been taken without their owners' knowledge.

"Is Ricken coming along?" Morgan asked, as she did one last check of their supplies.

"No. He's working on a research project with your dad," Lucina explained. "It's just us four, Severa, and Cynthia this time."

"Alright. Severa, do you have Owain's spare sword?" Morgan asked, turning to her sister.

"Yep. Just in case he breaks his weapon again," Severa said in a resigned tone.

"Vaike, do you have your axe?" Morgan asked, turning to the blond fighter.

"Uhh…"

"I have it," Lucina said with a sigh. Out of habit, she was the one who carried Vaike's axe into battle now.

"Looks like we're all set then!" Morgan said cheerfully, as she donned her mask once more, having kept it despite her sister's protests.

* * *

><p>In the tavern of a small eastern Feroxi village, about a hundred miles north of the abandoned mansion and just across the Ylisse-Ferox border, a panicked man burst through the doorway. "The risen! The risen are back!" he cried.<p>

Most of the tavern's patrons ignored him. Some assumed the man was drunk, judging by the crazed look in his eyes. Others were too drunk themselves to care. A few glanced at him curiously, but for the most part, his warning fell on deaf ears. "Aw, shut your trap," the grizzled old proprietor barked, clearly unconcerned. It was only natural, given the ridiculous claims made within his tavern by those lost in drunken stupors.

"This is serious," the man insisted. "One of the Ylissean merchants says risen were seen in an old mansion just south of the border!" But the proprietor had grown tired of his nonsense, and went back to wiping a dirty ceramic flagon with an even dirtier rag. "How can you all just ignore this!?" the man protested.

"I'm not ignoring you," a soft voice said. The man turned, surprised to see a little girl sitting at a table nearby. She stood just over half his height, and appeared to be no more than ten years of age. She seemed to be alone. Despite that, her clothing was tidy, and her hair was combed neatly. Her unnaturally serious expression made her seem older and more mature than her age implied. She didn't look the part of a lost waif, but the man still had his doubts.

"Ahh… don't worry about it, kid. I'll head down to the capital and let the khan know. I'm sure she'll send someone to take care of any trouble; it's nothing for children to worry about," the man said quickly, as he turned to leave.

The girl's eyes flashed when the man called her a "kid," but she remained calm. "Tell me anyways," she said sweetly. "Please, sir?"

The man glanced at her, and wavered indecisively. The girl didn't seem to be scared at all, which was quite a surprise. He himself felt as if his insides were quivering at the mere thought of risen. Finally, he caved in and sat down to share the story the merchant had told him.

An hour later, he set out for the capital, despite the late hour. The little girl set out not long after, heading south. She had a feeling it was a false alarm. She had been too late to rejoin with her friends for their battle against the fell dragon, and since then she had willingly stayed on the sidelines, enjoying a relatively peaceful life. But if the threat was real, then it fell to her to make certain of it, before bringing the news to Lucina in Ylisse.

* * *

><p>"Well, this was a waste of time," Severa griped. The mansion looked like any other old, abandoned mansion. In fact, it wasn't even apparently clear why the mansion was abandoned, for it looked to be in fairly good condition, and not at all gloomy or creepy.<p>

"We already expected as much when we set out from Ylisstol," Lucina reminded patiently. "Duke Hyperion has never been a particularly reliable source of information, and in this case, his information came from a source even he admits is probably unreliable."

"Besides, the Duke said they were only seen at night," Morgan said. "These risen probably only come out at night!"

Severa glared at her. "Since when have risen ever come out only at night? In case you've forgotten, the risen are huge pains by day or night."

"I forgot a lot of things," Morgan reminded with a shrug, eliciting a groan from her older sister. "But that's not the point. If it's not risen, but people wearing masks, _obviously_ they'd come out at night instead. It's spookier that way."

"If it's just people pranking one another, then it's none of our business," Severa retorted.

"She's right, Morgan," Lucina agreed. "There's no risen involved, and no one's been hurt or even threatened. We're not here to catch pranksters."

"Besides, if we try, they might just end up pranking us instead," Stahl said. The knight tried to speak matter-of-factly, but he trembled slightly as he spoke, and his voice wavered audibly.

"Don't tell me you're actually scared of fake risen, after all of our fights against _real_ risen," Severa said, wearing an amused expression.

"I'm not!" Stahl replied, speaking a little bit too quickly to be convincing. "I just don't think we should go poking around spooky old mansions at night!"

"It's not _that_ spooky," Cynthia pointed out. "It looks pretty nice, actually, if you ask me."

"Exactly! Why don't we come back after sunset?" Morgan said enthusiastically.

"No thanks," Severa said firmly, as she turned back for the town. "Come on, let's see if the inn has any rooms for us."

* * *

><p>Morgan, lying in her bed patiently, closed her eyes and listened carefully to her sister's rhythmic breathing. Once she was fairly certain that Severa had fallen asleep, Morgan silently crept out of bed and collected her traveling pack and mask. Stepping lightly, she made her way over to the door, holding her breath as she reached for the handle.<p>

A loud creak gave her away, and Severa sat up immediately. "_Really_, Morgan?"

"Huh. Why did the floor creak like that? It was quiet earlier when I tested it," Morgan said, sounding puzzled.

"Because I loosened the floorboard, just in case," Severa groaned, lying back down. "You are _so_ predictable."

"Oh," Morgan said. She looked slightly embarrassed. "Umm… how about we both pretend you didn't hear that?" Morgan asked hopefully.

Severa heaved a deep sigh, before climbing to her feet. "Not happening," she said adamantly, reaching for her own traveling pack and lance.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to," Morgan said quickly. "I just want to go take a look."

"I'm coming, and so is Lucy. I told her you would probably sneak out in the middle of the night alone if we didn't agree to go back together for a look," Severa said wryly.

The door creaked open and Lucina stepped into their room, soon followed by Cynthia. "And it looks like you were right," Lucina said, grinning.

"Cynthia? You're awake too?" Severa asked.

"Come on, Severa! Lucina is about as stealthy as _Dad_ is," Cynthia said. "She almost dropped Falchion on top of me when she was getting dressed, and my bed is all the way on the other side of the room!"

"It was dark!" Lucina protested sheepishly. "Anyways, come on. Let's get going."

"Yeah," Severa agreed. "The sooner we show Morgan there's nothing there, the sooner I'll be able to get some sleep."

Lucina led the way out of the room and down the stairs, followed shortly by Severa and Cynthia, with Morgan lagging behind a few steps, fumbling with her belongings. But when the four girls reached the tavern's sitting room, they learned that it wasn't as empty as they had expected.

"What are all of you doing here?" Owain asked, startled.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Severa retorted suspiciously.

Owain shrugged sheepishly. "I was worried Morgan would try to sneak out in the middle of the night, so I figured I'd stay up a few hours and tag along with her if she tried." He glanced at Morgan, then did a double take. "What did you do to your hair, Morgan?"

"Does it look right?" Morgan said curiously, as the others spun around to see Morgan's hair dyed raven-blue, matching Lucina and Cynthia's hair color almost exactly.

"Wow! That's pretty cool!" Cynthia exclaimed, as Morgan smiled happily and donned her mask once more.

"You have got to be kidding me," Severa muttered angrily.

"Do you think we should wake up Stahl and Vaike, too?" Lucina asked worriedly. "It feels awkward leaving the two of them behind."

"Stahl doesn't seem too interested in coming," Severa reminded. "And if you bring Vaike, we'd have to keep an eye on him the entire time just to make sure he doesn't lose his axe somewhere in the mansion."

"Good point," Lucina conceded. "Let's just get this over with, then."

"Yep. We'll go take a look. Everything will be exactly the way it was a few hours ago, and then we can all go to bed except Morgan, who can wash that stupid dye out of her hair _because there won't be a costume party,"_ Severa predicted, glaring at Morgan.

* * *

><p>"Exactly the way it was a few hours ago, huh?" Morgan asked, mimicking Severa's earlier words ironically, when the mansion came into view. There was only a hint of teasing her voice, though, for the situation was anything but amusing, and none of the others could offer any retort or explanation.<p>

They couldn't see any risen, or anything else out of place. But the mansion's old, finely decorated, heavy oak door had been smashed to splinters.

When all her friends remained speechless, Morgan approached the remains of the door for a better look. She scooped up the fragment that held the door knob and tested it. "It's still locked."

"Do you think someone broke in, then?" Lucina asked.

"Or broke out?" Cynthia asked, sounding even more concerned, and glancing around the cobblestone path leading up to the mansion's doorway apprehensively.

Morgan frowned. "If someone was trying to break in, smashing a window would have been easier. This mansion has glass windows instead of wooden shutters, which are brittle and shatter easily. But if it was someone trying to get _out_, they could've just unlocked the door. It would've been easier and cleaner."

"But the risen don't know how to undo locks," Cynthia reminded, still warily glancing from side-to-side, as if expecting an undead monster to suddenly spring out of one of the bushes.

Morgan examined the way the doors fragments were spread out, and shook her head again, her now raven-blue hair flying wildly behind her. "Look: most of the pieces fell inside the mansion. It looks like it was broken from the outside."

"And judging by how far some of them flew, someone must have hit the door pretty hard," Severa commented.

"So it seems," Morgan agreed. "It looks more like someone tried to open the door, then got frustrated and smashed it open." She started for the doorway.

"Wait, where are you going, Morgan?" Lucina demanded.

"To take a look," Morgan said, looking back innocently. "Isn't that why we're here?"

"You have no idea who or what did this," Lucina reminded.

"Exactly!" Morgan replied. "Shouldn't we find out?" Before Lucina could protest further, Morgan nimbly hopped over the wooden debris and slipped into the dark corridors of the mansion.

"Wait, Morgan!" Severa called. "Gods," she cursed, stepping into the mansion herself when Morgan didn't respond. Lucina, Cynthia, and Owain followed Severa inside a moment later, though the latter two both spared the ruined door a nervous glance before doing so.

* * *

><p>"Morgan, where are you?" Severa whispered harshly. The mansion had seemed elegant and lovely during the day, but knowing that someone, or something else was hiding inside added a chilling touch to the posh habitation's aura, and the way the moonlight shined through the cobwebs, casting elongated shadows upon the thick layers of dust made the mansion seem a hundred times gloomier.<p>

"Whoa!" Owain cried loudly, the sudden noise startling all of them. His voice seemed a bit strangely muffled, though.

"Don't do that!" Lucina berated, spinning to her cousin. But she gasped when Owain was nowhere in sight. In fact, all that awaited them the way they came was a wall.

"Eek!" Cynthia cried out upon turning, too, and seeing the wall.

"It's just a wall," Severa said, rolling her eyes. "But wait… we just came from that direction. How could there be a wall there?" She reached out to touch the wall curiously, and sure enough, it was a solid wall, painted just like any of the others in the mansion. It did seem a little less dusty, but other than that, it looked as if it had been there all along.

"I'm getting a bad feeling about this place," Lucina confided. "Owain, can you hear us?"

"What!?" Owain called back loudly. He then called something undecipherable.

"He's certainly loud enough for us to hear him," Severa observed. "But I can't make out anything else he just said."

"Umm… Lucy? Wasn't there a wall there a minute ago?" Cynthia asked, sounding on the verge of panic, as she pointed down the hall. Severa and Lucina both turned, and oddly enough, there was a new hallway on their left now.

"I'm pretty sure there was," Lucina agreed softly, as she marched toward the new opening, her two remaining companions following closely. "Okay. Something strange is definitely going on here," Lucina said decisively when they were standing before a new hallway, perpendicular to the corridor they had previously been traversing.

"This corridor definitely wasn't here before," Severa agreed.

"Stay close," Lucina instructed, as she started down the new hallway.

* * *

><p>"Wow, this place is really pretty cool," Morgan decided. She had discovered the disappearing and reappearing walls almost immediately. As always, she had mentally mapped out all the corridors she had walked by, but she wasn't sure what good it would do her with half of them being blocked off as soon as she left.<p>

Morgan wasn't overly concerned though, for as she had mentioned to her friends earlier, the glass windows would offer an easy escape if she needed it. She was more worried about her friends straying deeper into the mansion, away from the outer walls, and getting lost. "Hmm… there's no risen or anyone else in here though," she whispered to herself. "I wonder who broke that door, then."

A wall vanished right beside her, revealing a corridor heading deeper into the mansion. Morgan eyed it carefully, wondering if she could risk following it, when she heard a scream in that direction. "Cynthia?" Morgan guessed, for the voice was too high-pitched to have been Lucina or Severa. Her doubts dispelled, she rushed down the corridor frantically, wondering what her friends could possibly have encountered.

She promptly crashed into a little girl a few moments later. Morgan wasn't particularly tall herself, and was fairly slender, so the two of them both tumbled backward.

"Lucina!?" the other girl said, gaping at her, recognizing the mask and the raven-blue hair.

"Huh?" Morgan replied, looking at the girl she had collided with. "You know Lucina?" Morgan asked curiously, as she took off her mask.

The other girl's eyes widened when she recognized who she had bumped into, and she backed away, terrified. "Morgan? Is that you? What are _you_ doing here!?"

"Have we met?" Morgan asked quizzically. Then she remembered how Owain, Inigo, and Brady had responded upon meeting her for the first time in this timeline, and she understood. "Oh! You're one of our friends who came back from the future, right?"

The girl only continued to look at her suspiciously, so Morgan tried her best to explain. "I'm not the Morgan you know. Well, I guess I might be? Kind of? But I might be a different Morgan, from another world, maybe. I'm not too sure honestly."

"What are you even talking about?" the girl demanded. "And why is your hair blue?"

"I lost my memories," Morgan explained. "And… umm… I dyed my hair. Anyways, Lucina can explain it better than I can. We should go find her."

"Wait, Lucina is here?" the girl asked, surprised.

"Yep!" Morgan replied happily, nodding. "We heard there were risen around here, so we came to take a look. We decided to explore the mansion when we saw that someone had smashed the door in."

"Oh… that was me," the girl admitted. Then her face grew alarmed and she swiveled around to glance behind her nervously, letting out a sigh of relief when she saw that a wall had appeared, blocking off the other end of the hallway. "But there _are_ risen in here."

"_You_ smashed the door open?" Morgan asked, surprised that someone even smaller than she was could've caused so much damage to the building. Then the mysterious girl's second remark registered. "Wait, what do you mean there are risen in here!?"

"Over thirty of them, all of them armed!" the girl said frantically.

"And they weren't just wearing masks?" Morgan asked wishfully.

The girl shook her head. "I don't think so. Where's Lucina?"

"Umm… we got separated. But I'm sure we can find them," Morgan hastily assured. "Oh! Since you already know my name, why don't you tell me yours?"

"Nah," the girl replied.

"Oh come on, why not!?" Morgan pleaded.

Nah groaned. "No, NAH. N-A-H. That's my name. Ugh… why does this always happen?"

"Hmm… that's kind of a strange name," Morgan observed. "Oh well. Nice to meet you, Nah. Now let's go find everyone else."

* * *

><p>"We're lost, aren't we?" Cynthia whined.<p>

"We're not lost," Lucina said through gritted teeth.

"Are you sure? It looks like we're lost," Cynthia insisted.

"Of course we're not lost," Severa said sarcastically. "We just don't know where we are, or where we're going, and seeing as walls just appeared and blocked us into this room, we have no way to get where we want to go, anyways."

"Not helpful, Sev," Lucina said with a grimace. "Look, I'm sure a wall will disappear and let us out soon." Right on cue, a panel on each of three walls disappeared. "See?" Lucina said, gesturing toward the path forward, which was now clear.

A chorus of moaning alerted them to the fact that the wall behind them had disappeared, too, and they spun around frantically.

A dozen men and woman stood there. All of them had unhealthy looking ashen-violet skin, and glowing red eyes. Half of them were carrying axes, and the other half were carrying swords.

"Risen!" Lucina cried out, horrified, immediately drawing and swinging Falchion at the nearest foe. Her target retreated a step, raising his axe to parry her attack, but Falchion sliced cleanly through the axe's shaft, and the axe's head tumbled to the floor with a dull thump.

And then Lucina, Severa, and Cynthia ran as fast as they could down the hall, trying to put as much distance between them and the undead horde as possible, hoping the mansion would cooperate and place a wall behind them, cutting off their intruders.

But Lucina's victim hadn't given chase, nor had any of his companions, who stood around gaping at the broken weapon.

* * *

><p>"There. We're back at the outer corridors," Morgan announced, when they entered a corridor lined with windows. "If we have to get out now, we can. Do you think the others are already outside?"<p>

"How should _I_ know?" Nah asked.

"Good point," Morgan admitted. "Maybe we should break out and take a look outside. We can always come back inside to search if Lucina and the others aren't out there."

A cacophony of screams and shouts rang out from down the hallway, further inside the mansion. And then there were a series of angry shouts and loud moans. "Nope. They're still inside," Nah said unnecessarily, as she and Morgan turned around and went running back the way they came, wondering if the walls stayed gone.

They had only gone about thirty paces when two burly men approached them, their vacant eyes glowing crimson and their skin gloomily tinged. Each of them carried a massive axe. Morgan gasped upon seeing the risen again. Something seemed a little off about their appearance, but she couldn't quite place it, and wasn't overly concerned with it at that moment. She unsheathed her sword immediately as the first one approached with a surprisingly cleanly executed downward chop of his axe.

Morgan's sword, Eternity, flashed through the air, its silver blade flashing under the moonlight as it sliced easily through her attacker's weapon. But the axe's head flew surprisingly far, threatening to hit Nah.

Nah reacted instinctively, and the two axe-toting warriors were no longer faced with two small girls, but a girl and a dragon. Morgan saw her opportunity with both her foes distracted, and rushed her disarmed opponent, sending her sword outward in a horizontal sweep. "Dragon!" the other risen cried out unexpectedly, as he turned and fled.

"So you're Nowi's daughter," Morgan realized quietly, suddenly understanding where Nah's rather unusual name had come from. She struck at the warrior that remained, not quite noticing the ramifications of the first warrior speaking comprehensibly. Eternity bit into the other warrior's arm, but Morgan retracted her blade a moment later, horrified. The man crumpled, clutching his bleeding arm and moaning in pain. "You're not risen!" Morgan realized, astonished.

"Your weapons are real!?" the man disguised as a risen sputtered indignantly. "What the hell are you playing at?"

Nah quickly reverted to her human form, as Morgan dug into her pack for a healing staff to tend to the man's wound, both of them wondering what exactly was going on here.

* * *

><p>The escaped "risen", in the meanwhile, had fled to grand foyer to report the intrusion.<p>

A tall, bald man with dark skin and a black eye patch was waiting for him. "What's all the damn noise about!?" Khan Basilio of Ferox barked angrily.

"Intruders! A woman with a _real_ sword, a little girl that turned into a dragon!" the risen said.

"Nowi?" a tall, lanky swordsman with short dark hair guessed. "What is _she_ doing here?" Though he sounded surprised, Lon'qu spoke quietly and didn't bother moving from his comfortable position, leaning against the wall.

"Blast," Basilio grumbled. "First the weirdo running around screaming about slaying zombies and ghosts, then a bunch of other intruders carrying real weapons, and now _Nowi_ is here, too?"

"Some of them are headed this way!" another man, also with his skin painted as a risen with his eyes glowing mysteriously, shouted as he rushed through the doorway.

"Should we try to explain?" The first informant asked hesitantly. "Maybe they'll agree to keep this secret."

Basilio grinned happily. "Hah! No way! We've got a better plan. We'll send these invaders running as fast as if their arses were on fire! Right, Lon'qu?"

"No," the swordsman replied immediately.

"Course we do, boy!" Basilio insisted. "Now get your cloak on."

"Absolutely not," Lon'qu said firmly.

"Hey, don't you start being all difficult now!" Basilio barked angrily.

Lon'qu sighed, knowing there was no way he was going to win an argument against his khan. "This is stupid," he informed Basilio, as he reluctantly retreated into the other room to change.

* * *

><p>"I think we lost them," Severa panted, as she, Lucina, and Cynthia made another turn. A wall conveniently appeared behind them too, as if to reassure them that they were no longer being pursued.<p>

"But now we're more lost than ever!" Cynthia whined.

"No we aren't," Lucina reassured, pointing at the hallway before them. "That looks like the grand foyer. Which means the hall in front of it should lead outside. Why don't we head back outside first?"

"Morgan and Owain are still lost in here somewhere though," Severa reminded.

"I know, but I don't think we're going to find them running around aimlessly," Lucina pointed out. "If we're lucky, we'll spot them through the windows and they can break their way out." She started toward the grand foyer, her companions following closely, not wanting to be separated by any more of the mysterious walls.

The moment they crossed the threshold, though, a voice greeted them.

"Who are you to intrude upon the manor of lost souls?" a man called to them, in a deadpan and particularly unenthusiastic voice.

Lucina, Severa, and Cynthia all turned to see a tall, slender man with pale white skin, wearing a gothic black and blood-red cloak, standing at the top of the staircase.

"A vampire!?" Cynthia cried out, terrified.

"Lon'qu!?" Lucina cried out at the same time, recognizing their friend at once despite the ridiculous outfit and face paint.

"Lon'qu is a vampire!?" Cynthia interpreted, panicking.

Lucina and Severa ignored her obvious distress and only gaped at their old friend, who merely looked at them, stunned, before ripping off his cloak and casting it away in disgust. "I told you this was stupid!" Lon'qu cried out in an uncharacteristically heated tone.

"You call that acting!?" Khan Basilio shouted back, storming through the doorway angrily. "What the hell did you expect? It sounded like you were reading off a piece of paper!"

"I _was_ reading off a piece of paper!" Lon'qu retorted, holding up what appeared to be a script.

"Well you don't have to sound like… Lucina!?" Basilio gasped, his protests coming to a halt as he recognized who the intruders were.

"Khan Basilio?" Lucina stammered. "What in Naga's name is going on here?"

"Wait, wait! Don't kill the risen!" Morgan's voice rang out suddenly, as she and Nah stormed through the opposite door into the grand foyer. "They're not really risen!"

"Fiends of the netherworld, flee before my radiant might, for I am the morning sun, come to vanquish this horrible night!" Owain announced, cackling maniacally, as he stormed into the room, chasing half a dozen Feroxi warriors disguised as risen who were screaming for help. Several Feroxi warriors, bereft of disguises, had rallied around their mysterious new ally and followed, howling victoriously.

But Owain stopped when he noticed his cousins, Morgan, Severa, and even their long-lost friend staring at him, openmouthed. His impromptu followers similarly ground to a halt.

"What's going on here, Lucina!?" Basilio bellowed angrily, breaking the confused silence.

"You're asking _me_?" Lucina muttered dryly, shaking her head.

* * *

><p>"Let me get this straight," Lucina said faintly, as Basilio finished his explanation. "Gregor accidentally got his war paint mixed up before a battle, and looked like a risen, which scared his opponents so badly they couldn't fight properly. So you decided it was a good idea to sneak into an abandoned mansion <em>in another kingdom<em>, and practice in the middle of the night, with half your men dressed as risen, just in case Khan Flavia decided to try to make it a real strategy?"

"That's right," Basilio said cheerily. "And it was a damn good plan if you ask me."

"And you didn't think to let someone know? Khan Basilio, the Ylissean villagers think your men were _real risen_. They're convinced that something terrible is happening!" Lucina complained.

"Well, if we told anyone, then Flavia might have found out," the khan replied defensively.

"What about the glowing eyes?" Cynthia asked nervously.

"A potion that improves one's ability to see in the dark," Lon'qu explained brusquely. "Conveniently makes your eyes glow red."

"What about the strange walls that keep appearing and disappearing?" Morgan asked curiously.

Basilio looked at her strangely. "Don't you recognize them? Your dad helped Tharja sort them out a couple months ago. Of course, she didn't tell him _why_ we wanted them."

"Strange. I've never seen them before," Morgan wondered.

"Dad was probably afraid you'd turn our house into a labyrinth," Severa said with a smirk. "But what's the point of them?" Severa demanded, turning back to Basilio.

"Tharja insisted it would make the mansion 'creepier', and therefore more suitable for our training," Lon'qu replied dryly. "Yes. That is as stupid as it sounds."

"Why didn't you just do this back in Ferox somewhere?" Cynthia asked.

"Because Flavia has spies everywhere in Ferox, as do I. We thought we'd be safer here," Basilio said, shrugging. Suddenly, he looked nervous. "You won't tell Flavia, will you?"

Lucina sighed. The last thing she wanted at this moment was to get embroiled in Feroxi politics. "Tell you what, as long as you change your plans so that they don't involve Ylisse any longer, I won't tell anyone," she offered.

"Alright, lass. We'll get out of your hair," Basilio promised, and Lucina turned to leave, with Severa, Cynthia, Owain, and Nah following close behind. "Morgan?" the khan asked, turning to the only one of Lucina's group who had remained behind.

"Khan Basilio, do you think you could teach me how these walls work?" Morgan asked curiously, trying to hide the devious glint that came to her eyes.

"I don't know," Basilio said uncomfortably. "If Robin didn't want you to be playing with them, he might get upset at me for teaching you."

Morgan feigned a sad look, stretching her innocent eyes wide. The effect was devastating, and even Khan Basilio felt irrationally guilty. Then Morgan's face brightened immediately. "What if I helped you draft some plans for your next grand melee?" she offered, referring to a Feroxi competition held between the two khans, where each khan would send a team of twenty soldiers into a large, obstacle-laden arena.

The two-pronged appeal proved too much for Basilio to resist. "Lass, you have yourself a deal!" Basilio agreed immediately, as Lon'qu groaned, already anticipating another near-disaster. At least this time, the disaster would probably be far, far away in Ylisstol.

* * *

><p>As soon as Lucina and her companions were away from the mansion and the Feroxi warriors, Lucina moved to embrace Nah.<p>

"Lucina!" Nah gasped, surprised.

"It's great to see you, Nah," Lucina said, smiling warmly. "Where have you been this whole time?"

"And what are you doing here?" Cynthia added curiously.

"I heard about the risen, and thought I'd check it out for you," Nah said, replying to Cynthia's question first. "I knew where you all were, so I thought if it was anything to worry about, I could drop by Ylisse and let you all know."

"You should've come by anyways," Cynthia argued. "We missed you!"

Nah smiled. "Thanks. But I thought I'd stay in Ferox and keep an eye on Mom. It's great to see you all, though, and I'm glad you're all okay. How is everyone else?"

"Laurent's working for his mom as her assistant. He hasn't been having much luck getting his mom and dad to notice each other, though," Lucina said. "You've probably already met Brady and Inigo, since they're both living in Ferox. We haven't seen Kjelle, Noire, or Gerome."

"What's the story with Morgan?" Nah asked. As she spoke, she glanced at Severa hesitantly.

"She doesn't remember," Severa said with a shrug. "We're not sure what happened, but somehow she got sent back in time, too, alive and well, except without her memories. We found her in Valm during our campaign against the Conqueror."

"Without her, we probably would never have defeated Grima," Lucina admitted.

"Well… I'm glad she's alright," Nah said, smiling at Severa sympathetically.

"Wait a moment, where is she?" Severa asked, suddenly realizing that Morgan was absent.

"Who?" Morgan asked, as she rejoined them, clutching a large parcel wrapped in brown paper.

"You. And do I want to ask what that is?" Lucina asked, peering at the parcel suspiciously.

"Probably not," Morgan admitted. "So, are we going back to the tavern? Or is it time for that costume party?"

"Tavern," Severa replied immediately. "Costumes can wait for the stupid Masquerade Festival."

* * *

><p><em>~ Two weeks later, on the winter solstice, in Ylisstol ~<em>

Robin sighed as he tugged on the black robe he had purchased a few days before. Somehow, Morgan had talked Chrom into hosting a Masquerade Ball in the castle. Though Severa firmly refused to take part in any costume nonsense, Morgan had pleaded with her father to join in the festive spirit. Of course, no one was likely to recognize the obscure historical character Robin was dressed as, and he himself had no idea how accurate of a portrayal this would be. The Radiant Hero's tactician allegedly had dark hair, and Robin had decided against trying to dye his own platinum-blond hair to match. Soren lived hundreds of years ago, after all, and no one could really be sure how the famous tactician looked anymore, Robin reasoned.

Satisfied that his costume was about as complete as it was going to be, Robin stepped out of his workshop where he had hidden the costume and returned to his home, wondering if the rest of his family was even awake yet. The older Severa would almost certainly still asleep, but the odds on both Morgans being awake were pretty good. Adult Morgan had been far too excited to sleep the night before, and little Morgan would almost certainly be tagging along happily after waking little Severa.

"Good morning," Robin called, when he saw his family, save for the adult Severa, already sitting around the dining table. He then did a double take, for the seating arrangement seemed to be a little different than usual.

Cordelia and Morgan both grinned, amused, as he took a closer look at the two of them. "Morgan, why are you wearing your mother's armor and hairpins? And Cordelia, why are you wearing my robe?" Robin asked, perplexed. The two had switched seats, even, furthering his confusion.

Both of them, and both of the younger girls burst out laughing. "Severa was poking fun at Morgan for letting her hair grow out the other day when Morgan came up with this idea," Cordelia explained. "But Morgan's robe is just a little bit too short for me. Good thing you weren't planning to wear yours today."

"My hair's not quite long enough," Morgan observed, tugging at her long, vibrant red hair which was neatly combed for once. "But Mom's armor sort of fits, even though she's a bit taller than I am. Who are you supposed to be, Dad?"

"You don't recognize me?" Robin asked, feigning indignation.

"Hmm… nope," Morgan admitted.

Robin laughed. "I'm not surprised, actually. I'm supposed to be Soren. You know, the tactician from the story of the Radiant Hero. All I know is that he wore a black robe, though. The stories are surprisingly sparse when it comes to him."

"That's cheating," Morgan protested. "You can't dress as someone when no one knows what that person really looked like."

"Accusations of cheating? From the girl who simply asked to borrow her mother's armor?" Robin retorted, smiling.

Morgan conceded the point with a shrug and smile. "I can't wait to see Aunt Sumia's reaction," she said eagerly.

"I'm pretty sure Sumia would notice right away," Cordelia said.

"No way," Morgan disagreed.

Privately, Robin agreed with Morgan. While Sumia and Cordelia were close, Sumia could be surprisingly unobservant at times. "We'll see," Robin said.

Morgan hid her smile carefully, knowing that they would be seeing a lot more, or a lot less, than they expected when they reached the castle.

They set out a few minutes later, deciding not to wait for Severa. They all knew that Severa would continue to feign disinterest until boredom set in later, whereupon she would join them with apparent reluctance.

* * *

><p>"Sumia?" Robin called out when he saw the queen standing alone in the courtyard, looking at the castle while wearing a perplexed expression.<p>

Sumia turned. "Oh hello, Robin, Cordelia," she greeted, apparently not noticing that it was Morgan standing beside Robin. She glanced back at the castle, still seeming preoccupied with something.

"Is something wrong?" Robin asked curiously.

"Maybe," Sumia said noncommittally. "There's a labyrinth of new walls in the castle's main hall somehow. It's like they appeared overnight. And they take turns vanishing and reappearing, too."

Alarm bells began going off in Robin's mind, and he rushed forward to peek through the open doors. He turned to Cordelia, who was still standing behind and holding hands with both little Severa and little Morgan. She glared at him suspiciously.

"I sent them back, Cordelia," Robin protested hoarsely. "I sent them back to Ferox and told Tharja she could keep them."

"Cordelia?" Sumia echoed, surprised. She glanced at her friend, who she had thought was Morgan. "But that's… Cordelia!? Why are you wearing Morgan's robe?"

"Costume. And it's Robin's robe," Cordelia replied quickly. "Robin, does anyone else know about these walls?"

"I haven't told anyone," Robin said. He was about to glance over at little Morgan, when a thought occurred to him. He turned to the adult Morgan instead, who was trying a little bit too hard to look innocent.

All Robin could manage was a single, resigned sigh.

* * *

><p>Lucina stepped into the Shepherd's garrison suspiciously. The past few days, Morgan had been surprisingly quiet, working diligently on her secret pet project in the corner of the garrison. Something that involved lots of paint, but to Lucina's knowledge, art was not among Morgan's favorite pastimes. She had a feeling her tactician was up to something incredibly silly, and it was probably best to make sure it wasn't something unintentionally dangerous, too.<p>

The princess wasn't sure what she had expected, but a strange wood and metal box with a large red lever, and a glass tube full of shimmering oil and slowly moving blobs of wax was _not_ it. She stared at it for almost a full minute, wondering if it would be safe to move the lever or any of the other pieces. Finally, she decided it was probably best to demand an explanation from Morgan instead. Lucina turned for the doorway, leaving the control box alone for now.

A wall had appeared, blocking the doorway, and suddenly, Lucina was reminded of the package the tactician had brought home from the abandoned mansion.

Though she knew it had absolutely nothing to do with the divine dragon, and everything to do with a certain red-haired tactician, at that moment, Lucina couldn't help but believe that the lovable troublemaker had been divinely inspired.

"_Why_, Naga? Why would you do this to me?"

* * *

><p><strong><em>Disclaimer: The characters, the setting, and any cover images used belong to Intelligent Systems. I do not own Fire Emblem, or any part of IS.<em>**

**Special thanks to masterofthez for offering the prompt which I used for this story.**

**I apologize if this story feels a little excessively silly. The original idea was to do something Halloween-inspired, featuring Paralogue 16: Daughter to Dragons and its haunted house setting. Since the risen are gone, though, I settled on a more lighthearted and comical interpretation.**

**Happy Halloween.**


	9. Deep Dive

**~ Deep Dive ~**

_A deafening roar seemed to shake the very air around them. The earsplitting noise was too simply too much, and all within the vicinity of the monstrosity clasped their hands upon their ears. The Pegasi, too, were affected, writhing and thrashing, disturbed by the unnatural roar. But the well-trained, majestic steeds did not falter, and held steady enough that their passengers could remain seated._

_Below them, the beast glared at them defiantly. None of the aerial combatants had ever seen such a creature before, a cetacean creature of enormous proportions, with shimmering black skin. Morgan stared down into its eyes, a pair of glowing orbs of golden flames, swirling in massive, eerily sunken sockets._

_Morgan knew what was coming, but could do nothing but watch in horror, as their foe sank back into the sea. Time seemed to slow as the ocean billowed up around it, and the displaced water rushed outward. Her sister, Severa, saw the danger and urged Catria, their Pegasus, upward. Catria only narrowly avoided the devastating tide, nearly a hundred foot in height, which surged past, crashing into the coast. The torrential wave descended upon the coastal fishing village of Ferox, smashing docks, ships, and homes into driftwood and stone debris. The waters receded, moments later, dragging with them the shattered remains of what had once been a prosperous village. Bodies, animal and human alike, drifted out to sea, their dreams, futures, and lives claimed by the unforgiving ocean._

_"No…" Morgan gasped. All these lives, destroyed in a heartbeat. Destroyed by the very sea that they had depended upon, generation after generation. Severa, too, seemed to be at a complete loss._

_"Focus, Morgan!" At the sound of her father's voice, Morgan spun around. Her mother soared by on her own Pegasus, the Catria of this time. The legendary Pegasus knight was clad in her pristine, silvery light-plate riding armor, and her white wing-shaped hair clips shined visibly, contrasting with her vibrant, free-flowing vibrant red hair. As always, riding behind her was Robin, the famed platinum-blond Ylissean tactician, and the hero who had vanquished the fell dragon. Like Morgan's mother, her father was dressed for battle, wearing his new dark blue, silver-trimmed coat. Beneath the coat, he wore a dark hardened leather vest. _

_Despite the devastation below, Morgan noted that her father maintained his cool, calculating expression. "We have to turn it back! Everyone, see if you can find any weak points! Any vulnerabilities at all!" Robin said urgently._

_"You got it," Severa acknowledged, flashing her father a smile. Morgan was shocked to see her father and sister both blissfully ignorant of the gruesome scene below them. Or perhaps they simply refused to acknowledge it. Morgan knew she should ignore it, too, and focus on the battle at hand. If only it were so easy._

_"Yes sir!" Cynthia answered. Like everyone else, the princess and captain of the royal Pegasus knights seemed completely oblivious to the fate of the fishing village. With her cousin Owain riding behind her, she surge forward, her raven-blue pigtails bobbing in the wind as she went. Princess Lucina, Cynthia's older sister, had borrowed her mother's Pegasus and was flying alongside her sister._

_Severa followed suit, her long platinum-blond hair held in place by her riding helmet. Morgan, like her mother, could never stand riding helmets and masks herself, and looked much like her mother, with her slightly shorter red hair drifting freely in the wind behind her. All around them, the other Pegasus knights closed in on their foe, who now bobbed just above the water's surface, only about a third of its body remaining visible._

_Morgan scanned the monster's body for any signs of weakness. Its flesh and skin were pitch-black, reflecting only the slightest hint of light, as if it were not a living creature at all, but forged from darkened steel. It had two fins, each the size of a small warship, one on each side of its body, spread wide with only the tops drifting above the ocean's surface. Frothy, smaller waves crashed against it, and the beast seemed to take no note of the ripples, or the bodies and debris around it._

_For a moment, Morgan was transfixed upon the gruesome sight. She recognized one of the bodies, a tall, dark-skinned man clad in golden armor, with a black patch stretching across his left eye. She forced herself to look away, telling herself she must have been hallucinating, and when she looked back a moment later, the body was gone. "I was imagining it," she muttered to herself._

_"Imagining what?" Severa asked harshly. "Did you see something?"_

_"No, nothing," Morgan said quickly, and her attention returned to the creature. Her gaze followed the rough, almost skeletal ridge along the creature's back. Though it resembled a gigantic whale, this ridge extended the length of its back, and no dorsal fin could be seen._

_A small crack caught her attention. "Severa, can you get us closer to the ridge on its back?" Morgan asked._

_"No problem," Severa said, grinning. She leaned forward and with a soft tug, conveyed her intentions to Catria perfectly, who obediently brought the sisters closer to their foe. "Did you see something?" she asked again._

_"Look at the ridge!" Morgan instructed. "Some parts of it look thicker than the rest, but they're covered in cracks!"_

_"Well, blast it open, then," Severa suggested. Morgan obediently selected a fire tome that her father had penned for her. Her old fire tome, Valflame, had long since been expended, but Robin's skill in creating elemental tomes had grown, and the Shepherds all had a steady supply of potent magical weaponry, now. A sphere of white flames formed in her hand, as the tome responded to Morgan's summons, and with a thought, Morgan propelled the bolt forward._

_The bolt struck the point precisely, and exploded concussively. Though the explosion was nearly ten feet in radius, the sheer size of her target made the blast seem miniscule. A second and third blast followed, and when the swirling white-hot flames faded, a few new cracks had appeared._

_"It's working!" Severa shouted excitedly. "Let's tell the others!"_

_They didn't have far to go. Though the blasts seemed so small in the distance, Cordelia's keen eyes had spotted the commotion immediately, and came soaring to their side. Needing no explanation, Robin quickly pulled forth his own tome and sent a few blasts downward, toward another of the cracked segments. Like Morgan's target, it soon bore a few additional cracks. "Good work, girls," Robin said, nodding approvingly, and he turned his tome skyward, another blast signaling for the other Pegasus knights to regroup with them. "Target those cracks!" he instructed. "Maybe if we can bust open part of its back, we can hurt it enough to repel it!"_

_"Severa, can you drop me beside one of them?" Morgan asked, as soon as all the Pegasus knights scattered again, swooping and swerving around the abomination, trying to choose their targets._

_"Are you crazy?" Severa protested. "We're safer back here!"_

_"If we can make out the cracks from all the way out here, they're large enough that I could wedge a blade into one," Morgan reasoned. "Drop me on its back. It's not like it's going to be able to attack me."_

_"And what if it starts trying to shake you off?" Severa demanded. "Or it just sinks back into the ocean?"_

_"It's too shallow here for it to submerge itself," Morgan said. "And if it tries to throw me off, you'll be there to catch me."_

_Severa mulled it over for a moment. "Fine. I guess you did think this through," she finally agreed, and she pulled Catria closer, but not quite close enough for Morgan to leap down safely._

_"Closer," Morgan urged._

_"Nope," Severa replied, handing the reins over to her confused sister. "You can use magic, and you can fly Catria as well as I can." That was the only explanation she offered, as she hopped off of Catria's back. Training with the Pegasus knights had made Severa the more athletic of the two sisters, and while the jump proved difficult, Severa still managed to land evenly, a few paces from the nearest crack. With a few quick strides, she closed the distance, and jabbed Passion, the lance she had inherited from her mother in the future timeline from which she had returned, deep into the crack._

_Morgan still wasn't sure what the monster was made of. It was tougher than flesh, and complete unmalleable. Despite the mysterious metallic sheen, it was closer to bone, but more fragile than she would have expected a solid slab of bone to be. As Severa wrenched her lance's shaft downward, Morgan saw part of the creature's ridge chip off, and fall away. Less than twenty paces down the creature's back, another fireball pounded into the ridge, as she tried to help however she could. Still, if the creature noticed the constant onslaught, it did not react._

_Morgan watched as Severa dug Passion into the wound again and again. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that many of the other Pegasus knights had seen their maneuver, and were now imitating them. Cynthia had closed in, jabbing at the cracks with her lance, though from the back of her Pegasus, Caeda, she was unable to aim as precisely as Severa was. Owain, on the other hand, had hopped down on the creature's back. From even footing, the young, brown-haired swordsman struck at the cracks repeatedly._

_Morgan loosed another pair of fireballs into the crack. She meant to continue her barrage, but suddenly, she felt magic gathering in the air somewhere nearby. She spun in time to see her father, holding a tome identical to hers, with a look of extreme concentration. With an expression of awe, she watched amethyst flames spring up around Robin seemingly at random, flowing towards the white, blazing sphere he held in his hand. Finally, the pure white flames had been entirely obscured, and the empowered projectile soared out unerringly._

_The explosion was the largest yet, and the shining white embers were punctuated by the swirling amethyst fire. This time, the creature reacted, bucking wildly._

_"Severa!" Morgan cried out, as she dove for her sister. Thankfully, Severa's reflexes were as sharp as ever, and she clung to Passion, wedged tightly into a crack. Though the sudden movement of the creature had still dislodged her, Severa's momentum was slowed as her lance scraped against the inside of the crack, and she managed to control the angle of her flight, crashing back down atop the ridge. A moment later, Severa scrambled back onto Catria._

_Morgan looked around frantically, searching for the other Pegasus knights, hoping everyone else had escaped the sudden quake. But she was distracted by the scent of ozone filling the air, and a tingling sensation, the unmistakable signs of lightning magic at work. She looked up at her father, the only other mage present, wondering if perhaps he had switched to a different tome._

_Her father still held his fire tome, and was frantically signing for them to retreat, even as Cordelia urged her Catria upwards. "Get away!" Robin cried out._

_Morgan obeyed immediately, but as she soared up into the air, she saw a white flash below. She turned and gasped, as she saw Cynthia diving towards the foe instead, to where Owain lay unconscious. "Cynthia!" Morgan cried. Ignoring her father's orders, Morgan, too, dived towards them._

_Suddenly, bolts of lightning flew out from the whale-like monstrosity. Thousands of vicious streaks of blue lightning ripped through the air. Morgan watched in horror as a bolt struck Cynthia, throwing her from her Pegasus, to be engulfed by the ravenous waves below. Still, Morgan pressed on, as lightning flashed all around her, hoping to reach Owain before a similar fate found him._

_Owain's prone form, scorched by the brutal lightning, spun through the air past her. Morgan instinctively swerved, and she reached out as if hoping to catch the young man by the arm. Behind her, Severa, too, reached out for their friend. As if the fates were taunting them, Owain's fingers brushed against the back of Severa's hand for the briefest moment, and both girls looked directly into his dead, empty eyes for a split second, before his body, too, plummeted to the frigid waters below._

_Hundreds of Feroxi fishermen, dead._

_Khan Basilio, dead._

_Princess Cynthia, dead._

_Prince Owain, dead._

_"This can't be happening," Morgan whispered. "This can't be real." She turned, and saw Severa looking at her blankly, equally stunned._

_And then a bolt of lightning thundered into Morgan. The girl felt no pain as she was thrown from Catria's back. As she fell, the world seemed to become hazy. The cetacean creature began to shift, too. Its golden eyes shifted to a crimson hue, and each eye split into three. Its metallic skin became covered in draconic scales. Its two tusks emerged from the water, as it roared in victory. But as it roared, the slightly curved tusks twisted into angular horns, and seemed to slide up the creature's head until they came to a rest, protruding from its crown. Its ridge slowly retracted into its body, to be replaced by leathery, draconic wings._

_"I AM ETERNAL! I AM THE BREATH OF RUIN! I AM THE WINGS OF DESPAIR!" the fell dragon roared victoriously._

_Morgan felt herself hit the freezing waters. But there was no pain on impact, just the sensation of the clammy water swallowing her whole. She knew she had to move, knew that she couldn't breathe for long, but her body refused to obey, and she sank steadily into the waiting darkness._

_As Morgan descended to the depths of the sea, crimson eyes began to glow, shedding light on numerous corpses, with their skin tinged a deathly, violet ashen hue. All around her, the risen stirred, and began to swim upward, ignoring the doomed woman. Morgan tried to cry out, to deny it all. No sound escaped her lips, only her last gasp of air as the world faded to black._

* * *

><p>Companions walk along the endless path together,<p>

Even in the wavering shadow of spite,

With our home engulfed in the flames of chaos and faced by the many spears of war.

That which cannot be forgotten, I will keep close to my heart,

And with my companions I will rise once more.

Our bond shall never be broken,

As we hold fast to protect the future,

And those who await our return.

The light of the night sky gathers on the flag we unfurl,

And together, we gaze upon the multitude of stars,

Gripping our blades with courage in our hearts.

For if we do not cast light upon the darkness in our lands,

The shooting stars will shine on naught but a wasteland.

Oh Fire Emblem, on whom does the morning sun shine, as she climbs over the edge of battle?

* * *

><p><strong><em>Disclaimer: The characters, the setting, and any cover images used belong to Intelligent Systems. I do not own Fire Emblem, or any part of IS.<em>**


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